Watch now: Mattoon assistant principal gets haircut by students | Education
MATTOON — Riddle Elementary School Assistant Principal Jordan Rahar started the school day Friday with shoulder length locks and ended it with buzz cut thanks to a haircut from six of his students.
Rahar offered earlier this spring to let a group of students cut his hair if the entire student body achieved at least 5,000 of their self-set academic and behavioral objectives in Riddle’s Wildly Important Goals (WIGS) program before the end of the semester. The youths there ended up meeting 5,303 of their goals, as tracked by a scoreboard in the front hallway.
“This is all because of the goals you have accomplished each and every week,” Rahar said via a megaphone to the assembled students as he sat down for his scheduled haircut at one of the school’s playgrounds.

Riddle Elementary School Assistant Principal Jordan Rahar, seated, gets a haircut on Friday from student Kalin Davies with assistance from Shear Bliss Salon stylist Lori Croft at this Mattoon school. They are pictured with the other hair cutting students, from the left, Ezra Bell, Tyler McKee, Fletcher Houser, Jordyn Cole and Harper Krost.
Teachers picked a consistent goal achieving student from each of Riddle’s six grade levels, kindergarten-sixth, to help cut Rahar’s hair with assistance from Shear Bliss Salon stylist Lori Croft. The selected student stylists were Ezra Bell, Jordyn Cole, Kalin Davies, Fletcher Houser, Harper Krost and Tyler McKee.
“I am still in shock I got called. Out of all the fourth-graders, I got called,” Ezra Bell said after getting to use scissors to cut off one of the four pig tails that Rahar had tied for the occasion. Ezra and his classmates also got to use an electric razor for the hair cut. “It was fun.”
Dozens of students chanted “shave it off” as they sat on the playground and eagerly watched Rahar’s get hair that he had been growing since March 2020 cut. He planned to donate his clipped pig tails to Locks of Love, a nonprofit charity that provides custom-made hair prosthetics to disadvantaged children up to the age of 21 who have suffered hair loss as a result of medical conditions.

Riddle Elementary School student Tyler McKee holds a clipped ponytail aloft in victory after helping cut Assistant Principal Jordan Rahar’s hair on Friday at this Mattoon school.
Both Jordyn Cole, a third grader, and Harper, Krost, a second grader, said they were a little nervous about cutting their assistant principal’s hair in front of so many of their classmates but still had fun. Harper, who likes Rahar’s new short hairdo, said she had never before used an electric razor.
“I thought it was pretty cool. I am surprised he said ‘yes’ to it,” Jordyn said with a laugh.

Riddle Elementary School Assistant Principal Jordan Rahar, seated, gets a haircut on Friday from student Fletcher Houser with assistance from Shear Bliss Salon stylist Lori Croft at this Mattoon school.
Riddle academic instructional coach Nikki Renshaw said the students considered several possible motivational incentives, including a teacher dunk tank, for this year’s WIGS goal achievement program before choosing the hair cut for Rahar.
“We always let them vote on what their incentive is going to be and that is what they picked,” Renshaw said.

Celebrating the jazz band
Retiring Mattoon High School Director of Bands Todd Black gestures toward his jazz band during his final spring concert on Tuesday, May 10 in the Mattoon High School main gym.

All smiles
Retiring Mattoon High School director of bands Todd Black smiles while directing his jazz band during his final spring concert on Tuesday, May 10 in the Mattoon High School main gym.

Conducting
Retiring Mattoon High School director of bands Todd Black directs his jazz band during his final spring concert on Tuesday, May 10 in the Mattoon High School main gym.

Greeting the audience
Retiring Mattoon High School director of bands Todd Black smiles toward the audience while directing his jazz band during his final spring concert on Tuesday, May 10 in the Mattoon High School main gym.

Leaping in joy
Retiring Mattoon High School director of bands Todd Black leaps into the air while directing his jazz band students and alumni on a performance of “In the Mood” during his final spring concert on Tuesday, May 10 in the Mattoon High School main gym.

‘My Funny Valentine’
Retiring Mattoon High School director of bands Todd Black, at right, greets retired math teacher John Cox, who serves as a guest vocalist on “My Funny Valentine” during Black’s final spring concert on Tuesday, May 10 in the Mattoon High School main gym.

Trombone solo
Mattoon Middle School Director of Bands Justin Hunt plays the trombone for a performance of “I’m Gettin’ Sentimental Over You” during retiring Mattoon High School Director of Bands Todd Black’s final spring concert on Tuesday, May 10 in the Mattoon High School main gym. Hunt will become the director of bands at MHS in 2022-2023.

Out in front
Retiring Mattoon High School Vocal Music Director Angi Dallas greets the audience during her final MHS spring choral concert on Tuesday, May 10 in the school cafeteria.

‘My Shot’
Retiring Mattoon High School Vocal Music Director Angi Dallas raises her arms in celebration after leading her concert choir in a performance of “My Shot” from the musical, “Hamilton,” during her final MHS spring choral concert on Tuesday, May 10 in the school cafeteria.

‘Flight’ duet
Retiring Mattoon High School Vocal Music Director Angi Dallas, at right with a microphone, duets with student teacher Aimee Wetenkamp on “Flight” during Dallas’ final MHS spring choral concert on Tuesday, May 10 in the school cafeteria.

Tango
Mattoon High School choir members Trinity Crowe and Josh Carter dance a tango as part of a performance of “Sway” during retiring Vocal Music Director Angi Dallas’ final MHS spring choral concert on Tuesday, May 10 in the school cafeteria.

Angi Dalls concert (copy)
Retiring Mattoon High School vocal music director Angi Dallas, at center with the microphone, performs her final spring concert with current choir students on Tuesday, May 10 in the school cafeteria.

Angi Dallas hug (copy)
Current Mattoon High School choir students and alumni envelope retiring Vocal Music Director Angi Dallas in a group hug after her final spring concert Tuesday, May 10 in the school cafeteria.
Contact Rob Stroud at (217) 238-6861. Follow him on Twitter: @TheRobStroud