Wednesday, May 23, 2001
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Wednesday, May 23, 2001 |
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Students meet challenge, have principal for a day Brooks Elementary School Principal Harry Sweatman is willing to go to extraordinary lengths to encourage his students to read books and strengthen their reading skills. Each school year Sweatman makes a deal with students in the school's accelerated reader program: if they read a certain number of books within a specified time frame, then they can have him for a day. There are 36 students participating in the program from grades three to five. This year's accelerated reader goal was for the students to earn 560 points from Feb. 15 to May 15. Students received points based on the difficulty of each book read. After students finished reading a book, they took a computerized test, which verified that they actually read the book. A computer program kept up with each student's points. The students not only met the point goal this year, they surpassed it. In fact, the students have been so busy reading that school officials are still working on tabulating the number of points read beyond the set goal. Now that the students have won their challenge, they have been coming up with interesting things for Sweatman to do. "One suggestion was for Mr. Sweatman to catch a cow," says Jibbie Baker, teacher at Brooks and coordinator of the school's accelerated reader program. In the past, Sweatman has bungee jumped twice, completely shaved his head and eaten 10 watermelons while sitting on the roof of the school. "Mr. Sweatman has always been supportive of the students and willing to do whatever possible to help encourage them to read," says Baker. Instead of catching a cow, the students have finally decided that they would like to ride their bicycles with their principal. Not only will students enjoy cycling alongside Sweatman, but a local celebrity has also agreed to come along for the ride. Truett Cathy, founder of Chick-fil-A, will join the caravan for the 4.7-mile route. Truett, being an avid motorcyclist, will ride his motorcycle while Sweatman conquers the ride on horseback. The caravan will be escorted in style by three Fayette County Sheriff's Deputy cars. Parent volunteers will also staff refreshment stations along the way complete with water and bananas. The ride will begin at the school at 9:30 a.m. Thursday, May 24.
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