YES YES YES! check to find out if your audio visual dept. has videos of the principal---through the years. You have a lot of time to do this, but don't wait 'til the last minute! Then, take some of these videos and copy snippets of the BEST ones onto another tape. I did this for our retiring principal---with just two vcrs---2 years ago. VERY LOW TECH, but you can get really snazzy with all the video technical people "out there" in the PTO who are sure to lend a hand! Our High school's television studio helped me in the end---to add a sound track, and graphics.
After you assemble all the spots of a 1/2 minute or abouts---onto one master tape, then get permission to go into the cafeteria and record some of the students' reactions---lead them with this question: "what do you think Mr. Smith should do when he retires?" don't forget to also ask the students to say farewell to Mr. Smith--too. Keep this really really simple, but in no time, you will amass a whole bunch of AWESOME replies! NExt, get together with the teaching staff, catch them in the morning before school---and ask the same questions. Post this info in a secret message in their mailboxes, that you'll be taping on such and such dates---to NOT tell the principal, to keep this quiet---and to show up at this place and time---to record their farewell to Mr. Smith.
After you get all this STUFF! you'll need to get a theme. It'll come to you. A theme will give you a hint on how you want to say goodbye. For example, our principal was retiring--so he & his wife could travel in their motorhome across the USA. So the theme of my video was "school's out for summer" (alice cooper), and Happy trails! I downloaded all the songs pertaining to school, and that "hello mutha,hello fadda, here I am at--camp Granada!" and ended with the out of Africa theme song and then taps. the video turned out great.
"What did Mr. Smith do in particular that made him great? Did he always wear a different tie every day? Did he leave a lasting legacy ---all the GREAT principals do;)
Mix a theme of music relating to Kids! You can burn your own cd and add it to the sound track. Open with a graphic (letters) with a sign that reads---Happy trails to you!Mr.--xyz----! and then find all the songs that either say goodbye, or relate to kids. You'll find them, they're out there to download!
I planned the whole thing, and I'm NOT a technical person at all!
We had a reception for this wonderful man; we put a notice in our town paper, and also had our selectman name the day as --Mr. X---day! in honor of our retiring principal. At the reception, our selectman presented the plaque, we ate some nice food & schmoozed, and then, near the end, I dimmed the lights, and we showed the 8 minute video of little clips here and there of this principal thru his 23 years. And then when the kids spoke, saying really cool things like--"Mr. X should go on American Idol!" and "Mr.and Mrs. X should go to a place where there's no kids for a while, because he's seen too many!" those comments brought down the house! Plus, the music was a great memorable background. And then, lastly, the goodbyes from the teaching staff--some of our teachers recorded the poem---"Oh, the Places You'll go!" from Dr. Seuss. There was not a dry eye in the house.
Then Mr. X got up to speak and we gave him a gift certificate, and the night was done. It was a GREAT night!
I hope you can use even a little of these ideas. Make it fun, everyone bake something, set up plain white tablecloths across cafeteria tables, with helium balloon bouquets here & there----and a big blow up photo of the man. It will be a nice night! A reception is a nice way to have a send-off. GOOD LUCK no matter what you end up doing! BEst Regards, Deb in CT
