San Angelo Community Celebrated 3rd Annual San Angelo READS! Day Led by SAISD 

From special guest readers at elementary schools like Goodfellow Air Force Base officers, local authors and Angelo State University and Howard College professors to a poetry slam of creative sonnets authored by ninth graders at Central High School, to an official proclamation by Mayor Brenda Gunter, the San Angelo community rallied with SAISD to inspire a love of reading for the 3rd Annual San Angelo READS! Day on Wednesday, December 7, 2022. 

“We are honored to be a community partner in this important literacy initiative, even more so on this special day. We are proud to grow readers at the elementary campuses. It is such a joy every year, “said Goodfellow Air Force Base School Liaison Theresa Goodwin.

The annual day, now in its third year, was created as a celebration in support of San Angelo’s ISD’s community-wide literacy initiative, San Angelo READS!. The San Angelo Reads! community-wide literacy initiative was founded by the District in 2020 to promote and encourage reading and the SAISD future-ready learner profile attributes among SAISD students and the greater San Angelo community. This exciting initiative is driven by statistics which show how vitally important literacy is to providing all students with the opportunities to succeed at a young age.

“San Angelo READS! is all about making reading fun and engaging our students, but also our greater Concho Valley community. It is invaluable for children and families to begin reading and modeling reading at an early age - even before they enter our school system - for their future success,” said SAISD Executive Director of Communication Whitney Watson Wood. “With this literacy initiative, we invite our students, families, staff and community partners supporting public education to join us in building awareness of the importance of reading, at an early age, at any age, and beyond the school day.” 

Community partners from across the Concho Valley helped to celebrate the day created to garner support of the community-wide literacy initiative. Highlighting the day, was a gift of a new book, "Sky Colors” by Peter H. Reynolds, to all SAISD 3rd grade students compliments of the special San Angelo READS! Day partner, Whataburger and their Feeding Student Success program. Click here to watch the read aloud on the San Angelo READS! YouTube channel. SAISD works with community partners like Whataburger to further student access to books through book giveaways and other means, and Whataburger’s Feeding Student Success program empowers students on their educational journey.  

“Whataburger believes that no student should have to worry about accessing the resources they need to succeed at school. It’s a joy for us to give back, and to see these third graders’ faces when they receive their new book,” said Whataburger Representative Sarah Marston. “We’re honored to champion young readers and watch them learn and grow on their literacy journey.” Mrs. Marston lread teh book “Sky Colors” to third graders at Holiman Elementary on San Angelo READS! Day accompanied by Whataburger mascot What-a-guy and a team of San Angelo Whataburger staff. 

Third graders are selected for the giveaway on San Angelo READS! Day because statistics show that children who do not read on grade level by the end of the third grade, only have a one in eight chance of catching up to other students who are reading within their grade level and are four times more likely to drop out of school.

SAISD elementary school campuses spent San Angelo READS! Day celebrating literacy with special activities for our SAISD students, including book-themed events, fun read alouds, book giveaways, themed dress up days like come as your favorite book character, special visits from the likes of Clifford the Big Red Dog, H-E-Buddy, and more. 

Following the school day, the San Angelo community embraced San Angelo READS! with continued reading fun at a free, community-wide, kid-friendly event hosted by the District, the San Angelo READS! North Pole Pop Up. Community members were also encouraged to participate in the day, whether it be in big or small ways, like reading with a child, donating a book to a child in need, or supporting literacy programs in the community.

SAISD held the first annual San Angelo READS! Day on December 9, 2020, and elementary campuses celebrated with special activities for students, including fun read alouds, dressing up as their favorite literary characters, unveiling a book vending machine, and more. Also, each 3rd grade student received a copy of “San Angelo A to Z” by Linda Thorsen Bond compliments of the San Angelo Area Foundation, and the District shared a celebratory read aloud video of the book showcasing community members, SAISD students and staff.

SAISD extends appreciation to all community supporters of San Angelo READS! on this San Angelo READS! Day and throughout the year. Stay tuned to the San Angelo ISD Facebook, Twitter, and website, www.saisd.org/read, to see how we continue to celebrate San Angelo READS! and inspire a love of reading, and share how you and your family join in through our hashtag, #SAISDReads. 

San Angelo READS!

The San Angelo READS! community-wide literacy initiative was founded by the District in 2020 to promote and encourage reading and the SAISD future-ready learner profile attributes among SAISD students and the greater San Angelo community. The goal of the literacy initiative is to increase awareness of the importance of literacy and to inspire a love for reading. This exciting initiative is driven by statistics which show how vitally important literacy is to providing all students with the opportunities to succeed at a young age. Children and teenagers who read for pleasure on a daily or weekly basis score better on reading and writing tests than infrequent or non-readers. SAISD is focused on building literacy skills that create students who are prepared for future successes, inside and outside the classroom and beyond their time in our hallways. For more information on how to support San Angelo READS!, email communications@saisd.org.