Over 1 million books read by students of Richland School District One
Top readers from across the district met at W.A. Perry Middle School to celebrate surpassing the two month reading goal.
COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO) — Top readers from across Richland School District One met at W.A. Perry Middle School to celebrate surpassing the district’s two month reading goal.
Superintendent Dr. Craig Witherspoon challenged district one students in kindergarten through eighth grade to collectively read 750,000 books at the beginning of March.
According to Witherspoon, the students surpassed that goal and read over 1 million books.
As part of his promise to the students, Dr. Witherspoon gave top readers a chance to help dunk him in a dunk tank.
“Encouraging our young people to read and continue to do that, develop that love of reading, that curiosity, that inquisitive nature, and anything that I can do and we can do in the district to support that, even if it includes going in a dunk tank, we’re gonna do that. But I’m proud of our students in Richland One,” Dr. Witherspoon says.
Second grader T’anylah Watkins says she read 1,000 books as part of the reading challenge and loves fantasy fiction books.
“I don’t have a favorite book. They’re all my favorite,” says Watkins.
According to district officials, students from Annie Burnside Elementary School read the most books — finishing 63,722 books in just two months. St. Andrews Middle School was the top middle school — reading 2,320 chapter books.
