Rodgers honored as district high school principal of the year
Chad Rodgers knew before Friday afternoon he had been named the Indiana Association of School Principal of the Year for District 8.
What Rodgers didn’t know was that there was a plot to honor him during Friday’s Greencastle High School honors and awards ceremony.
And so when Assistant Principal Yolanda Goodpaster stepped to the podium late in the ceremony, the GHS principal was a bit confused.
When Goodpaster turned the mic over to Superintendent Jeff Gibboney, Rodgers was soon both touched and a bit embarrassed.
Gibboney simply explained that Rodgers had been honored by the IASP and asked the crowd to joining him in congratulating Rodgers.
Rodgers, for his part, was grateful but also self-conscious during a ceremony in which he was focusing on the students.
“I was overwhelmed and embarrassed, to be honest,” Rogers told the Banner Graphic.
But in continuing to talk about the award, Rodgers made it clear that he didn’t view it as a personal honor.
“When I really wrapped my head around it, I just feel like it’s really good for Greencastle and the community,” Rodger said. “It doesn’t really matter the names, but Greencastle’s getting acknowledged. That means every teacher and even all of our buildings are getting acknowledged and that’s what’s getting validated by that kind of acknowledgment.
“That’s what’s cool to me.”
Gibboney agreed.
“This is just obviously recognizing his hard work,” Gibboney said. “And just like he said, it’s a celebration of the entire school district — it’s not just an individual award.
“But certainly he’s done a lot of individual things, along with the rest of the staff, to be recognized for this.”