Community leaders take time out to be principal for a day.

What's it really like to be a school principal? About 50 local community leaders got a taste when they served as principal for a day at public schools throughout San Mateo County on March 10, 2010.

The annual Principal for a Day program, sponsored by the San Mateo County Office of Education, gives local leaders the opportunity to walk in the shoes of a school principal, learn about the challenges principals face as well as strengthen community ties with local schools.

Among the nearly 50 Principal for a Day participants this year were: Lorne Needle, Vice-President of Community Investments for United Way of the Bay Area; David Lim, city council member in San Mateo; Rhonda Ceccato, trustee, San Mateo County Board of Education; Greg Munks, San Mateo County Sheriff; Anne LeClair, CEO of the San Mateo County Convention and Visitors Bureau; Gene Mullin, former State Assembly member; and other community leaders including police chiefs, mayors, school board members, Rotary and Lions Club leaders, business owners, realtors, and chamber of commerce officials. 

"It's In Our Hands" was the dominant theme in the nearly 300 student-created posters for the "Be Counted" poster contest sponsored by San Mateo County. Public school students from

Angelica Romero, 2nd Place, 7th Grade, Daly City

across the county in all grade levels participated in the contest, the aim of which was to draw attention to the 2010 Census and promote community-wide participation.

"The images in the posters reflect the diversity and talent of students in our county," noted Margot Grant, San Mateo County Census Coordinator. "One winning poster included the 'It's in our hands' slogan in nine languages. It demonstrates what it means to grow up in San Mateo County. By having students participate, we hoped to draw attention to the census, get information out to students and their families in a playful way, and get them involved."

Learn more about the winners and why the 2010 Census is important  for San Mateo County here.

To see the poster winners, see Congresswoman Jackie Speier's Web site.

Learn more about the 2010 Census here­.

And the Nominees Are...

San Mateo County public schools select classified employees of the year.

It's that time of the year for awards. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the Oscar winners with the usual hoopla in early March. Around the same time, with less fanfare but great pride, the San Mateo County Office of Education (SMCOE) submitted its nominees from San Mateo County public schools and the County Office for the California Classified Employee of the Year to the California Department of Education (CDE). The three nominees are: Joanna Lipton and Virgil Mariano of the Pacifica School District, and Marcia Serpa-Garcia at the San Mateo County Office of Education.