Elementary School Principal's $12,018 'Stunt' for Literacy

Students arriving to class at Lydiksen Elementary in Pleasanton spotted something a bit out-of-the-ordinary on their playground this morning. A tent has been erected on the blacktop near the playground and beside the tent was their principal, Mindy Bolar, clad in her Tinkerbell footed pajamas and a coat.

Bolar is spending the entire school day working out of a tent, while wearing her jammies, to hold up her end of a bargain. In December, during the annual school book fair, Bolar agreed to do some sort of outrageous "stunt" if students bought enough books to beat the book sales from the year before.

According to parent Sara Terpstra, in 2011 the school sold $10,592 worth of books and in 2012 they sold $12,018, thanks to the "stunt."

Terpstra wrote, via text:

"The book sales from 2012 gave the school enough profit to spend $7,403 on books and classroom materials for the students."

Students who bought books at the book fair were able to vote on which "stunt" Bolar was to perform. They were able to choose from Bolar having to eat a dead cockroach, dancing the chicken dance while wearing a chicken suit or camping on the playground in her pajamas for an entire school day.

"I would have rather eaten a coach roach but we go to great lengths to motivate our students," Bolar said.

Before the morning bell had rung, students excitedly swarmed around the tent. Inside the tent, which Bolar borrowed, she had stocked a camping chair and her files. Students sent to see the principal for the day were sent to the tent.

Originally, Bolar was to pay up and perform her "stunt" in December on the Friday right before the holiday break but the date was rained-out.

Did you see Principal Bolar camping out on the playground? Which stunt would you have preferred to do if you were in her shoes? Tell us in the comments section below.