By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

A group of Valley Elementary School students displayed puzzled looks as they looked up to see their principal standing on the school’s roof the morning of Oct. 4.

“You don’t believe I flew up here?” Principal Linda Campanotta said after the kids shared varying theories about how Campanotta got on the roof.

From the start of the school day to lunchtime, Campanotta transported her office from inside the school to the roof after the VES students took her up on a bet earlier in the week.

“We had our math night last night, and I told them if half of the students showed up, I would spend the day on the roof,” Campanotta said. “We just barely missed having half of the students, so I told them I would stay up here through lunch today.”

Campanotta said about 250 students – and many more parents and siblings – attended math night to participate in math-related activities and lessons.

Oct. 4 wasn’t the first time Campanotta had worked from the roof, as she said she had used the stunt as an incentive to boost attendance at special events at her past schools.

Campanotta spent most of the morning catching up on work underneath an umbrella, and frequently stopped to chat with classes as they walked in front of the school.

“I’ve had plenty of people coming out to check on me, and some have brought me water,” Campanotta said. “I really wanted them to come to math night, and I thought ‘What can I do to get them here?’ This did it.

“Next time I tell them I am going to do something like this, they will know I’m telling the truth,” Campanotta added with a laugh.