When Tybell Steadman‘s alarm went off Wednesday morning, she wasn’t preparing for a typical school day. The fifth grader had a full schedule ahead of her, starting with morning carpool duty at 7:40 a.m. But unlike her classmates, Tybell wouldn’t be dropped off. She’d be doing the greeting.
Thanks to a winning bid at A Blue & White Night, the Jackson Academy Association’s annual fundraiser, Tybell earned the chance to shadow Head of School Eddie Wettach for an entire day. The silent auction experience has become one of the event’s most popular items, offering a rare behind-the-scenes look at how JA operates from the top down.
Tybell’s day began at the Administration Building, where she joined Mr. Wettach in welcoming students arriving for school. The pair then headed to the Performing Arts Center for Lower School chapel, where Tybell got to see how Mr. Wettach connects with JA’s youngest students. By mid-morning, she was touring the Tech Center with Ms. Snider and Mr. Nalley, learning about the infrastructure that supports everything from classroom technology to campus communications.
The experience took Tybell across all divisions of campus. She sat in on Mrs. Taylor’s Algebra I class, observing Upper School students tackle advanced mathematics. Over lunch in the cafeteria, Tybell hosted friends while discussing her morning adventures. The afternoon shift brought a different responsibility: a golf cart ride with Mr. Hinkle to conduct a campus safety check, examining facilities and ensuring everything was running smoothly across JA’s grounds.
By noon, Tybell’s administrative duties were complete, and she returned to her regular fifth-grade classroom. The experience revealed that leading a school means constantly moving between different communities, from elementary students at chapel to Upper School students in algebra class, from technology infrastructure to physical facilities. For one day, Tybell saw firsthand that being head of school means being everywhere at once, connecting with every part of the Jackson Academy family.
