For the first time in a long time, the two of us (Nirja and Sophia) stepped onto campus, Feb. 8, with fresh excitement. We were going to be spending the day shadowing Principal Ernie Remillard.

It all started with a burning question: What exactly does a school principal do all day? What does “running a high school” even entail? And what better way to answer this question than to experience a day with him? Much to our excitement, Remillard was open to our investigation.

Our day started when we arrived at school at 8 a.m. However, the day had already begun rolling for Remillard. Or should we say running? Since he’s training for his fifth Boston Marathon in April, Remillard wakes up as early as 4 a.m. to train before heading to Westview from his home in Kensington. 

We met in his conference room at 8:15. With him on one side of the table, we sat across from him and felt like we were about to really get down to business. He explained the itinerary for the day’s metaphorical marathon around Westview, and we scrambled to take notes. 

Remillard had to attend a confidential meeting with a staff member next, so we didn’t start shadowing until about 9:30. Before we embarked, Remillard put on his uniform: an olive green REI jacket and a pair of mango-yellow sunglasses. He also grabbed an iced oatmeal cookie kids Zbar for on-the-go. As his assistant Tara Appling remarked, “He’s always snacking.”

We went out to the quad to check on ASB as they were setting up for lunchtime Lunar New Year celebrations. After talking to some students, Remillard spotted a gathering of students as we walked toward the science buildings. Curious, he went to investigate and found science teacher Mitch Donnelly’s class ruffling through the grass in the planters with yardsticks. To say the least, we were confused. Suddenly, Donnelly pulled up what looked like a circular rock. 

“It’s not even 10 a.m. yet, and we’ve spotted a turtle,” Remillard said. 

It turns out the class was looking for the turtles that Donnelly had let out the night before. The principal was totally into it. 

“This is kind of crazy,” Remillard said, standing on the ledge of the planters with the students.

After finding two turtles (a 66% success rate), we headed to inspect a leak in the staff-only bathroom in the J-building. For those of you wondering, it doesn’t smell awful and there is even a small painting in there. It’s quite an upgrade from the bathrooms students must use.

Once the bell rang to end first period, we started walking back to the front of the school when Remillard bumped into two of his Homeroom students and started talking about an episode of Abbott Elementary. 

“So, I watched for 15 minutes and fell asleep,” he said. 

His students asked him to do better next time, and we headed to the library for Wolverine Time. 

“We’re going to have cake. I mean, we’re going to celebrate students,” he laughed. 

Remillard was referring to one of his many “learner celebrations.” Every time a group of Westview students represents the school well outside of campus, he tries to reward them with Nothing Bundt Cakes. 

“It’s because he eats nothing but bundt cake,” Assistant Principal Teri Heard laughed. 

We were celebrating the band students who qualified for the All-Southern and All-State ensembles. With a Chocolate Chocolate Chip Bundtini in his hand, Remillard congratulated them for excelling in the arts. 

He took a special interest in the instruments that each student plays and the matching sweatshirts they were wearing.

“Where’s my sweatshirt?” he asked jokingly. 

On the way back to his office, we were going through the staff lounge, and Remillard stopped to unfurl the wet doormat that had bunched up outside. 

“We wouldn’t want anyone tripping,” he said. 

Back in the office, Remillard had only a few minutes before a meeting with the special education department heads. In the meantime, he sat down to quickly write comments on custodial applications based on interviews he had conducted a few days prior. 

“You gotta take advantage of every minute,” he said. 

We joined the special education meeting that took place in Remillard’s conference room and which lasted for almost the entirety of second period.

Lunch rolled around and our stomachs were grumbling. However, there is no such thing as a lunch break for the principal. With a bag of Goldfish and a walkie-talkie in his hand, Remillard was off to watch the Unity Basketball Game, whipping out his phone to take pictures like a true basketball dad.

After lunch, we attended an office staff meeting, which is held every Thursday to prepare for the upcoming week. We began by each sharing one thing we were grateful for. Remillard was grateful for the 49ers making it to the Super Bowl. 

More meetings, paperwork, and phone calls ensued until someone in the office came to us with a spontaneous adventure: an ominously dark storage room in the front office.

We were here to investigate whether the room was suitable to provide accommodation for a speech-language pathologist coming the following week. The place was a claustrophobe’s nightmare, and we quickly learned that it was impractical.

At this time, Remillard had a private meeting with a family, and our time as shadows concluded. Though our day with the principal ended here, Remillard’s job is, in his words, “always just going.”

“There is really no start and end point,” he said. 

As we walked back out in the rain, we felt sad that the day was over, and we started to realize what really made the principal’s job so special. It was not the grandeur of high-level meetings and offices. It was the little things he did to make sure everyone at Westview was taken care of. The way he praised a math teacher in the hallway for giving an amazing presentation to staff members the day before. The way he ran back to the cafeteria after lunch to make sure the Golden Leaders in the Unity Basketball Game ate lunch. The way he treated Westview almost like his child, something incredibly precious. 

It was truly an honor to be a part of those little things that make the principal’s job so big.