January 12, 2006 Issue                                               

©2005 The Chestnut Hill Local

Houston School gets new principal for a day

“The fate of empires depends on the education of youth” – Aristotle

A new face was recently seen in the principal’s office at the Henry H. Houston School. However, he wasn’t there to see the principal. Rather, he was there to be the principal. Participating in Greater Philadelphia Cares’ annual “Principal for a Day” program, Charlie Silla, senior vice president of recruiting & staffing for ACE INA, stepped in to serve as the school’s principal.

Mr. Silla joined one hundred corporate, civic, and community leaders throughout Philadelphia to serve as a “Principal for A Day” in as many schools. Each year, Greater Philadelphia Cares and a corporate sponsor partners with the School District of Philadelphia to host the “Principal for a Day” event. The ACE group of companies was this year’s corporate sponsor.

During the event, participants shadowed the activities of principals, interacted with students, teachers and staff, and shared ideas. This gave the volunteers an opportunity to go behind the scenes and get a feel of the many challenges and rewards principals face each day.

“I was amazed to learn the volume of projects that principals manage each day in order to provide their students with a quality education,” said Silla. “They are truly CEOs of their buildings.”

It has long been known that children hold the keys to a society’s future. And principals are key figures in influencing Philadelphia’s future success by shaping students into educated young citizens. With that in mind, Greater Philadelphia Cares developed the “Principal for a Day” program several years ago.

“Our public schools need the support of the community to help meet the responsibility of educating our students more effectively,” said Greater Philadelphia Cares president & CEO Lissa Hilsee. “The Principal for a Day program enables us to forge partnerships with our public schools and provide them with the diverse experiences and talents of Philadelphia’s corporate and community leaders. These partnerships help enhance and strengthen the quality of education we give to our children.”

Shortly after the event, the “Principals for A Day” met to discuss their experiences and to continue their work toward the ultimate betterment of the schools through building stronger community and school relationships.

More information about “Principal for A Day” and other volunteer opportunities provided by Greater Philadelphia Cares can be found at www.gpcares.com or by calling 215-564-4544.