Zorio handed over her duties to third-grader Maddie Emery, who acted as principal for a day on May 16. Emery shadowed Zorio and took over parts of her daily routine, directing traffic and making announcements. Emery also stepped into a position of authority, taking comments and complaints from the student body.

"I can get you busted for that," Emery told a boy who asked for no more homework. "You be careful what you ask me."

Emery, a 9-year-old who lives with her parents, younger brother and dog, bought a new outfit for the special day and joined Zorio before school started.

Her first activity for the day was waving hello to parents as they drove up and gesturing for them to drive into the school's parking lot. "The principal is the first one to see the kids that day," Zorio said. "Today, it's Maddie."

The two toured several classrooms, where Zorio introduced the principal, who said hello and wished everyone a good day. Next they headed to the Saratoga Union School District office, where Emery met with and interviewed Superintendent Mary Gardner.

In response to Emery's questions, Gardner described her duties—managing the budget, overseeing employees, making sure "that we have a safe environment for the children who are going to school here"—and talked about her impending retirement.

In retirement, "you can do what you want to do. I'm deciding now that I want to play," Gardner said.

Emery and Zorio then went back to school, where they visited more classrooms, made an announcement over the intercom and did yard duty during recess. "When I was outside helping people with their problems, that was my favorite part," Emery said. Students complained to her about homework and about other children not following playground rules.

After lunch off campus, the two returned to the principal's office for a newspaper interview.

"I thought this was so cool. I got to be principal for a day," Emery said. "I've never had so many people around me. Even the boys paid attention to me."

"It was fun walking around, meeting our friends and making new friends," Zorio said. But what Zorio enjoyed most was "just being with Maddie and having a buddy to be principal with."

Zorio started the principal for a day event five years ago, when she took the position at Saratoga. Every year she randomly picks a name out of a hat "to give students an opportunity to experience another place in the school."

"We are all teachers here, but not too many people get the chance to be the principal," Zorio said. "I get to be with kids all day. And I love seeing kids be who they are and trying to be the best they can be."

At the end of the day, Zorio put together a scrapbook of photographs and artifacts from the various activities and presented it to Emery.

"Thirty years from now, you could be the principal at this school," she told Emery. And the experience, she added, "maybe will inspire someone to say, 'Wow, I want to be principal.' "