The principal's uncharacteristic silence as he walked to the podium that morning, as well as his breakdown into tears, created a tense and bewildering atmosphere for the students. There was also a feeling of uncertainty as the students had never encountered such before. The principal they have come to know and depend on was behaving quite strangely. The heavy silence, the "perplexed eyes", and the shock from both students and staff all point to a tense and uncertain atmosphere. This can be inferred from the description on page 5 of the novel.