Educators Sleep on School Roof

Published May 13, 2010

A strange new trend is sweeping the district. It seems everywhere you look, a different teacher or principal is camping out on the school roof.

Grassland Middle School Assistant Principal Chris Hawkins and Physical Education teacher Paul Breece are the most recent educators to accomplish this feat.

The two men promised their students they would camp out on the roof of Grassland Middle if the school raised enough money to purchase a new playground for the YWCA Weaver Center for Domestic Violence in Nashville.

With that as motivation, the students at Grassland Middle School rose to the challenge, raising $4,169 and easily surpassing their goal of $4,000. So, on May 7, the two men grabbed their tent and their sleeping bags and headed to the top of the school roof to honor their commitment.

But they're not the only ones who are roughing it for a good cause. Bethesda Elementary School Principal Steve Fisher slept on the roof of his school May 6 after students at Bethesda raised more than $33,000 at the school's annual Boosterthon Fun Run. And you might recall, Scales Elementary School Principal Rick West did the same thing back in October following his school's Invest in Your Child campaign.

Even new Nolensville Elementary School Principal Ryan Harris is getting in on the action. He's planning to camp out on the roof of his school Tuesday, May 18, as a way of thanking his students for the money they collected during the school's annual Fun Run.

With all the money that's being raised for worthy causes, let's hope this is one trend that doesn't go out of style anytime soon.