Rockland students tape principal, two teachers to a wall for fundraising reward

Rockland School students got an unusual reward Tuesday for their fundraising efforts — the chance to duct-tape their gym teacher, learning center director and principal to a wall.

Students and teachers raised $7,217.46 for the American Heart Association through the Jump Rope For Heart fundraiser earlier this year. The reward was duct-taping Principal Jeff Knapp, Learning Center Director Becky Johnson and physical education teacher Michael Kolar to the gym wall at the Libertyville school.

“I got suckered into it,” said Johnson, a first-year librarian. “Whenever they first asked, I said I was all in and thought it would be fun.”

More than 280 students participated in the jump rope activity, but it was the students who raised money who earned the chance to tape up the three adults.

One by one, laughing children took pieces of duct tape and stuck them on the principal as he hung on the wall until only his face was left uncovered. They did the same to Johnson and Kolar.

“I kind of liked it and it was fun,” said fifth-grader Loren Semler.

“It's a good initiative to raise money, and it's cool that we got 150 kids to do it.”

At the end of the assembly, three students — fifth-graders Owen Elfering and Connor Fuller and first-grader Liam Colton — were picked randomly to throw pies at the three school employees who were stuck to the wall while the rest of the students cheered them on.