Marshall Students Get Incentive to Read from Principal

Dr. Angelica Allen, principal of Marshall School, tried to make reading even more fun for students this November. In conjunction with the school's annual Book Fair, she challenged students to spend more time reading each day.

As each class visited the Book Fair, librarian Cathrine Evans presented a challenge: if students promised to read each day after school, then Dr. Allen would dress up in a crazy outfit, which they would get to choose. Would they vote to see their principal dressed up as a clown, a cowgirl or a punk rocker? 

Students were incredibly excited about the reading challenge. They quickly promised to read a certain number of minutes (ranging from five for preschoolers to 30 for second graders), and eagerly lined up to cast their ballots.

Most importantly, they kept their promise. During the week of Nov. 9, Marshall students read more than 44,000 minutes!

To celebrate this accomplishment, Dr. Allen greeted students on Friday, Nov. 20, in full punk-rocker costume and invited students to "rock out" with her, and many joined her in dressing up. At 9 a.m., students, teachers and administrators rocked on the Reading Train, lining the hallways outside their classrooms to read books for 10 minutes.

This article was submitted by Suzanne Turner.