Friends of the Marblehead Public Schools is in the midst of its “Principal for a Day” raffle program. The nonprofit organization first began this fundraising initiative in 2021, and has seen participation rise each year since.
By entering the raffle with the purchase of a $5 ticket, students from both Brown and Glover elementary schools vie for a chance to take over the duties of principal. One winner is selected from each school and awarded the authority to do things like run the morning announcements, visit classrooms to check on teachers, lead the school in singing the national anthem, get a photo taken in the principal’s office, and more.
Friends of the Marblehead Public Schools President Jess Chamberlin said the program has seen incredible turnout this year, with more than 850 purchased tickets.
“It shows there’s excitement around this event and that it’s becoming more well-known in the community,” Chamberlin said.
Friends of the Marblehead Public Schools has raised more than $2 million since it was founded in 1990, and has directly impacted 15,000 students throughout the three decades since.
The proceeds raised from the raffle go toward grants that directly impact Brown and Glover. Each school has received an outdoor melody garden and enhanced social and emotional learning books.
“The melody gardens are an opportunity for students who may not want to be running, climbing, and jumping all over the structures to sort of have a quieter moment,” Chamberlin said. “They play these musical flower-looking things… The books provided at both Brown and Glover this year bulk up their social and emotional learning.”
Glover School has also received coding bots and upgraded preschool playground equipment.
She gave thanks to the school counselors, who help ensure that each student who wants to participate in this raffle has a fair chance to, regardless of factors such as their financial situation.
Chamberlin also emphasized the enthusiasm students have embraced the raffle with throughout the years, and credited the staff at both Brown and Glover for their participation.
“We’re so fortunate to have Mary Maxfield and Hope Doran in the elementary schools working with us. Their enthusiasm around not only this event but in their daily jobs is a great asset,” Chamberlin said. “They get just as excited about this event as the kids do.”