WATCH: Kentucky Principal Sings Snow Day Message to His Students — Like Mariah Carey, but in a Hunting Cap
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Principal Chad Caddell of Union Pointe Academy in Florence, Kentucky, delighted his students with some unexpected news this week, and his performance was truly outstanding.
In a Facebook video that appeared to bring him to the brink of tears, Chad Caddell shares, "I have something on my mind that I need to share with you this early morning."
With the opening notes of Mariah Carey’s "Hero" playing in the background, Caddell takes a deep sigh and begins to sing:
"There’s a message…If you look inside your phone.
You don’t have to be afraid of what it says.
I see streets and roads. Have shut the city dowwwwn.
So I’m reaching out to you, and I gotta say….
That school is canceled for today.
Go back to bed and go out and plaaaaayy.
Tests and homework – not a trace.
(Parents don’t punch me in the face….)"
In true Union Pointe Academy fashion, Principal Caddell announces that the school will be closed due to inclement weather. He suggests his students enjoy Xbox, "just smile," and "drink hot chocolate for a while." His final request for hot tea is a nod to Mariah Carey’s request for hot tea during her New Year’s Eve performance (though, considering the weather, it is probably better that he was dressed warmly instead of in a revealing gown).
This special message from Principal Caddell, recorded by his wife, Tara, quickly spread and gained popularity, receiving nearly 300,000 views and close to 4,000 shares on Facebook as of Tuesday night.
Upon seeing the video, one commenter, Haley Clarke, wrote, "I can imagine that it is a pretty fun work environment and learning situation with this guy in charge. I love it!"
Chad Caddell, who was hired as principal of Union Pointe Academy in April, previously served as a drama teacher in Boone County, Kentucky. He gained attention in 2014 for a snow day duet he performed with an elementary school principal, singing Queen’s "Bohemian Rhapsody."
Caddell, in an interview with the Lexington Herald-Leader, expressed his surprise at the video going viral, but he is thrilled that his school community enjoyed it.
"I want to create a culture of excitement and joy for our students, faculty, and parents," he told the Herald-Leader. "A culture of surprise and delight where both students and faculty eagerly look forward to coming to school. School should not be boring and predictable; it’s a disservice to bore students. Fun does not mean shallow."
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