Principal camps out on roof
Armuchee Elementary students raise $10,000
Armuchee Elementary Principal Rodney Stewart got some extra sun and a beautiful view Friday as he spent the entire day on top of his school.
Stewart — armed with sunscreen, an umbrella for shade, a fan and a cooler full of cokes — made himself as comfortable as possible early Friday morning and set up camp for the rest of the school day.
The fearless leader promised his students that he would spend the day on the roof if they raised $8,000 in their school-wide penny drop. The students raised $10,000, which will
be used to purchase more Chromebooks for the school.
Armuchee Elementary does the penny drop every
year to raise money for things the school needs. In the 13 years Stewart has helmed the school, he thinks the drop
has raised about $130,000, he said.
“Students just bring in pennies from home and local businesses and parents and grandparents bring in money too,” he said. “This is a great way to raise money, because everyone can bring in a penny and participate. The students don’t have to sell anything and we don’t have to keep track of product.”
Stewart made his way up on the roof with much fanfare, climbing a ladder as students danced, chanted “roof, roof, roof” and asked him if he was planning to spend the weekend up there.
“I only stay through the car-line in the afternoon,” he said, smiling. “The parents honk at me and enjoy it. I know the teachers enjoy it.”
At one point Friday afternoon, Stewart gave an update from the roof.
“It is now 94 degrees up here, and my phone got too hot to work a minute ago.”
He also was quite popular with his students, even if he was out of the office, so to speak. He spent a good part of his afternoon lowering a candy-filled bucket emblazoned with the University of Alabama logo — his favorite football team. After students completed their recess period, they came to the front of the school, called out “Mr. Stewart,” and Stewart lowered the bucket on a rope so children could pick out candy for themselves.
Several teachers — who shall remain nameless — threatened to not bring the ladder back so Stewart could climb down.
“I’ve heard them pray for rain before,” he laughed. “I used to do this in February, but I spent some 30 degree days up there and I got rained on, so we switched to fall. However, this is the hottest day I’ve ever spent up here.”
The day was not only about watching their principal sweat it out, however. The winning third,
fourth and fifth grade classrooms who raised the most money in their grade all got to take limo rides to Pasquales for lunch.
“The limo ride was amazing,” said fifth-grader Jaycie Johnson. “It was my first time in one.”
Teacher Jennifer Phillips, whose fifth-graders raised the most money in
the penny drop, said her students were pleased with their luxury lunch arrangements.
“They kept asking if we could do this every day,” she said.
Annika Green, thirdgrader in Kristi Taylor’s class who also got the limo ride and pizza, said the ride was really fun.
“We kind of squished in the back so we could all fit,” she said.
In spite of their busy day, the students did show concern for their principal.
“I was worried that the ladder would fall,” admitted Andrew Purdy, fifth-grader.
Johnson was scared, but her worries melted away after Stewart was safely on the roof — she even began to like the idea.
“I don’t think he should come down,” she said. “We could come by Saturday and feed him.”
Fourth-grader Kileigh Barcomb from Lindsey Barcomb’s room, said she enjoyed watching Stewart climb on the roof.
“He tried to disguise himself before he did it,” she said. “He had a hat on and he hid under his desk, but we found him and he climbed up. He told us he had a swimming pool up there, but I don’t know.”