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Oak Bay principal rewards middle school student effort with stunts

Principal Pie Roll includes a face full of cream and a dip in McNeill Bay

This afternoon’s Principal Pie Roll at McNeill Bay took three tries to organize, but the students of Monterey Middle School were well rewarded for their efforts.

Principal Ken Andrews created a tradition last year where he’ll do something silly if the Athletic Leadership students hit their fundraising target. The students raised $8,636 through school events and entertainment book sales.

“Every year the kids go out and they do fundraising for our athletics program. It’s wonderful, it brings us extra sports equipment beyond what we have in our PE supplies and pays for our athletics fees. We have a huge athletics program at Monterey,” Andrews said.

RELATED: (Video) Monterey principal keeps his promise with epic sleepover

This year, students gathered suggestions on what the reward would be. It included a pie in the face and swim in the chilly waters off Oak Bay today (May 1). He made the counter offer of an attempted kayak roll and a pie to the face. Though if he blew the role, he had to do a swim of shame.

“I hope I don’t blow my roll,” he said ahead of the dip. Unfortunately, the principal blew it well ahead of the attempted roll, bringing the wrong spray skirt for his kayak. Andrews took the pie to the face then swam it off in the bay.

Stormy weather kept pushing the date for the event, but sun prevailed on this occasion. The kids organized the event, adding to the learning curve with something fun.

“Part of what school is doing is community building. In fact I think it’s one of the most important things we do,” he said. “It’s an example of the Monterey school community pulling together, having a vision and doing something fun to celebrate it.”


 
cvanreeuwyk@oakbaynews.com

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Monterey Middle School Principal Ken Andrews alerts the students that the attempted kayak roll won’t happen. Students happily respond with a chant of ‘swim’ during the outing to McNeill Bay May 1. (Keri Coles/Oak Bay News)
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Monterey Middle School Principal Ken Andrews tries desperately to make the wrong skirt fit on his kayak to avoid a swim in McNeill Bay. He wound up going for a dip, instead of attempting a roll in his kayak. (Christine van Reeuwyk/Oak Bay News)


Christine van Reeuwyk

About the Author: Christine van Reeuwyk

Longtime journalist with the Greater Victoria news team.
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