Today is "Waviest" Principal's Day Ever!

May 14, 2009

At today's cookout, Ty and Marcia Tingley received an Exeter banner signed by all students

Principal's Day is a longstanding Exeter tradition — a surprise day off from classes, giving students some well-deserved R&R. This year, it's also the last Principal's Day to be hosted by Ty Tingley, who will retire on June 30.

Today's relaxation included a celebratory all-school cookout where students saluted Tingley with a special student-designed T-shirt and a banner signed by the entire student body. The T-shirt read on the front:

Every student received a "One Principal" T-shirt"Ty Tingley
Phillips Exeter's
'One' Principal"

And on the back:

"One Principal to rule them all
One Principal to find them
One Principal to bring them all
And in the Harkness bind them
1997-2009"

Students MCed the cookout, with performances by Exeter Association of Rock (E.A.R.).

Tingley listens to the proclamation dubbing him "waviest" principalBen & Jerry's ice cream capped off the event. The ice cream honored a promise Tingley made to students in 1997, his first year as principal. He told Exonians that he expected them to wave politely to motorists stopping to let students cross campus streets. His promise: if you ever find me remiss in waving, I will buy Ben & Jerry's ice cream for every student. Rumor has it that he's been remiss a few times – and followed through with his sweet promise.

Today, the students got their due, with a complete round of Ben & Jerry's ice cream, donated by the company known for activism and lots of fabulous flavors, including Cherry Garcia, Americone Dream! and Goodbye Yellow Brickle Road! In the proclamation read by students to Tingley, Ben & Jerry's bestowed on Tingley the title of "waviest" principal and created, in his name, a special sundae: the "Ty Treasure" – a delicious concoction of ice cream topped with the cereals voted best of class by Exonians this year: Cocoa Puffs and Lucky Charms. Here's the proclamation:

Ben & Jerry's hereby declares Ty Tingley the "waviest" and most fun-filled principal ever to walk the planet because:
He flashes a smile and waves to all EVERY time he crosses the street, how friendly is that?
He, on more than one occasion, has given Ben & Jerry's ice cream to the ENTIRE school!
We even love him when he's not waving because that means MORE ICE CREAM!
The "Ty Treasure" is our new favorite sundae!  
His favorite flavor is Oatmeal Cookie Chunk, YUMM!
How much cooler can a Principal get?
After 12 years of leading Phillips Exeter Academy with excellence, Ben & Jerry's would like to thank TY TINGLEY for making the Academy a wonderful & ice cream-filled place for all!
Here's to a fun-filled retirement!
- Your friends at Ben & Jerry's

Thanks to Ben & Jerry's for their generous exclamation marks, their love of fun, the 20 gallons of ice cream donated to Exeter for today's celebrations and  the bag of goodies for Tingley (including a T-Shirt signed by both Ben and Jerry!).

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