ODESSA, Texas —
It was a royal affair Wednesday for students from IDEA Public Schools campuses in Midland and Odessa.
They celebrated students’ accomplishments in reading with their Royal Readers Luncheon at the Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center.
Special guest author Mari Mancusi spoke to the kids and awards were given to elementary students who read at least 1 million words and middle schoolers who read at least 2 million.
Of course all of them were treated like royalty, getting a limo ride to the luncheon.
But the party doesn't stop there. Celebrations will be hosted by each individual campus throughout the week.
“Research shows over and over, the more you read, the better you do in reading,” said Bethany Solis, Executive Director of IDEA Public Schools Permian Basin. “That is the magic recipe for becoming a great reader is to read a lot, and we want our students to become readers who love reading and do a lot of it.”
Around 100 students participated, with the top award going to 6th grader Raleigh Roberts who has read over 4 million words.