San Angelo READS! First Event of School Year Gifts Kindergarteners Books 

Last Wednesday, September 7th, all San Angelo ISD kindergarten students district-wide were treated to a gift of their own copy of “A Box Can Be Many Things” by Dana Meachen Rau compliments of our San Angelo READS! community-wide literacy initiative and made possible by community supporters. The giveaway to students is in furtherance of the guiding purpose of San Angelo READS! - to inspire a love of reading and to encourage reading beyond the school day and classroom walls. 

San Angelo community member Barbara Rallo is a proud supporter of San Angelo READS! and had this to say, “Volunteering in an after school program when we lived in Baton Rouge, Louisiana made very clear the importance of early reading to small children. When we moved back to San Angelo with a passion to help get books into the hands of families with kids and encourage parents to read to their children, we were happy to see a program like SAISD’s San Angelo READS! Literacy opens opportunities and is key to helping all children (and adults) reach their full potential. I want to be a part of that!”

SAISD recognizes the importance of early and continued exposure to reading, fostering a love of reading, and helping to provide access to books and reading materials. In celebration of the book giveaway, SAISD Executive Director of Teaching and Learning Dr. Raelye Self read the imaginative story to an audience of all kindergarteners at Santa Rita Elementary. Principal Kay Scott followed the read aloud with words of affirmation of her kindergarteners as well as challenge to them to design their very own box creations in alignment with the SAISD Learner Profile attributes of creativity and critical thinking.

The reading by Dr. Self was streamed live from the District Facebook page for other SAISD classes to tune in as well as interested community members. It is also now available on the San Angelo READS! YouTube channel along with an extensive library of read aloud videos.

San Angelo ISD is thankful for community supporters of public education like Scholastic, Whataburger, HEB, Atmos Energy and the United Way of the Concho Valley as well as individual donors from San Angelo Gives. We extend our gratitude from the District and on behalf of our students to these supporters. SAISD is working to provide a book to each of our elementary students this school year, and the support from community businesses, members and groups is very much appreciated to further this goal. 

“Sharing a love for reading is the basis of San Angelo READS!  We are so fortunate to have the support of our community as we continue to promote the importance of literacy in our lives, both students and adults. The joy on the faces of our students when they receive their very own book is what it is all about!” said SAISD Literacy Coordinator Ashlie Crane. Follow the San Angelo ISD Facebook, Twitter, and website, www.saisd.org/read, to stay up-to-date on San Angelo READS! community members are encouraged to share how they celebrate reading through the hashtag, #SAISDReads.

San Angelo READS! 

The San Angelo READS! community-wide literacy initiative was founded by San Angelo ISD 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.