Royal Oak's Jim Moll Named Principal of the Year

With noisemakers and streamers, students at Royal Oak High School surprised Interim Principal Jim Moll last week with news he'd won the distinction of being named Principal of the Year for the Michigan Association of Honor Societies and the Michigan Association of Student Councils. 

On short notice, Moll traveled to Traverse City Sunday to attend the awards ceremony and give a short acceptance speech to the 1,600 students in attendance. 

"There is nothing like giving an acceptance speech in front of 1,600 student government kids because there is no group of kids more positive than those kids," Moll said. "It was great fun. I am very honored and very humbled to have received it."

The students, led by senior Haley Smallwood, secretly worked on the nomination application last fall with the help of staff members John Decker and Ray McMann.

"Haley thought it would be really cool," McMann said. "When we found out he'd won about a week and a half ago, she was the one who got to go get him. We turned off the lights and waited for him to come in the room and surprised him."

Moll, who once dressed up like the pink Energizer Bunny, has invigorated the students and staff with his enthusiasm, McMann said.

"He's at every play, every concert, every sporting event. When he took over, he never acted like an 'interim' principal. He jumped in feet first, when he could have just sat back. His thing was, 'I want to see this school be a better place.'"

Moll was named interim principal in January 2012.