Don't Judge a Turkey By its Cover

What do turkeys and reading have in common? Why, Lincoln Elementary School of course.

We're a little late at The Digital Notebook in reporting the strange goings on at Lincoln Elementary School, but hey, we've been busy.

It is the Holiday season you know.

What are they doing to their principal? Shocking!

Speaking of holidays, Lincoln Principal Treena Ferguson and her staff took advantage of the main fare at Thanksgiving to launch a reading contest among her students.

Perhaps inspired by her counterpart at Edgewood Elementary, Callista Boyer, who has kissed pigs and allowed herself to be turned into an ice cream sundae in order to encourage her kids to read, Ferguson and the ever-helpful Bob Fine ("Mr. Bob" to Lincoln alum) allowed themselves to be turned into turkeys.

It was the launching point for a goal of reading one million minutes in the coming year.

Looks like the students are winning.

Here's Ferguson's note to my in-box:

"We are promoting reading with our students by asking the students to read 4,000 minutes. The school goal is 1 million minutes. 

Staff at Lincoln are also logging minutes they read at home and we track the minutes read on two thermometers in one of our hallway showcases. 

The staff and students are competing to see who will read 1 million minutes first. Currently students are in the lead with over 70,000 minutes read.

Students who read 4,000 minutes receive a Friendly's meal certificate, generously donated by the Friendly's on Shoemaker Road. 

"Mr. Bob" makes a tasty-looking turkey.

We have two students who have met this goal already and some very close.

Since the students have read over 50,000 minutes we held a special assembly to encourage further reading.

All students who turned in their logs had a chance to have their name pulled to participate in a dress the principal and custodian up like a turkey relay. 

Seven students on each team used crepe paper, feathers, a beak and a sign that reads "Don't be a Turkey... Read!" to dress us up. 

So too does Ms. Ferguson.

We wanted to do something fun and silly to reinforce their efforts and encourage continued reading. 

They have done a great job responding to the challenge."

So too have the staff at Lincoln, if I do say so, in responding to the never-ending challenge of inspiring their students to learn.

Not everybody has such inventive experiences in school and many can even grow to adulthood without learning how to read, or to read well.

That's why we're supporting the YWCA's Adult Literacy Program. And you can too.

If you haven't done so already, sign your name in the form below and the program will receive $1 for each signature from an anonymous donor.

It costs you nothing but a moment of your time.