A greater duty

Marisa O’Neil

Eastbluff Elementary School Principal Charlene Metoyer doesn’t let

anything get between her and her students -- not even a judge.

When jury duty conflicted with a plan to take four students to

lunch in a limousine last Friday, she got the judge to postpone the

hearing until she got back. The lunch at Ruby’s came as a reward for

getting the word out about this Friday’s PTA fundraising dinner and

auction at the Balboa Bay Club.

“[Metoyer] is such a wonderful principal, we thought the kids

would love to be with her for something special,” PTA member Carol

Crane said. “She’s always willing to do stuff and connect with the

kids. She didn’t blink an eye when we suggested it.”

The dinner, now in its fifth year, raises 40% of the PTA’s annual

budget. That money, Crane said, goes to pay for enrichment programs,

like an art teacher, computer instructor and physical education.

Last year, it raised about $50,000.

Because this year’s dinner, dubbed “Friday Night Fever,” has a

1970s theme, Metoyer took the students to lunch in a vintage limo.

The students won a raffle after submitting addresses of friends and

neighbors to invite to the Friday fundraiser.

Metoyer helps the PTA raise money by donating auction items. Last

year the “Principal for a Day” went for $700.

“I truly let the children be principal for the whole day,” she

said. “We go to meetings, go to lunch, give out pride tickets [for

good behavior] and help with lunch duty.”

She also buys season tickets for the Pacific Symphony Orchestra

family concerts. Six winning bidders will get to accompany her to the

symphony and lunch of their choice, she said.

“Taking a child to concerts is selfish of me,” she said. “I just

love going to the concerts with the kids. It’s a really great way to

get to know my students on a different level and expose them to

something they might not otherwise be exposed to.”

Metoyer uses similar motivation to encourage her students to read.

Last year, she promised to go up to the school’s roof if students

read 1 million pages.

They read 1.5 million and she spent the whole day on the roof,

even serenading them at lunch.

This year, she’s challenging them to read 2 million pages. If they

do, she promises to spend the entire day on roller skates.

“That’s huge because I’m not very good,” she said. “I asked one of

the moms if I should be practicing. She said: ‘I would, if I were

you.’”