O’Malley, Hite Read to Greenbelt Middle School Students

students received star treatment Thursday after Governor Martin O’Malley and Prince George’s County School Superintendent Dr. William Hite, Jr. read to them and presented awards for their excellence in reading.

The event was meant to celebrate the Radical Readers, a group of students that took up the challenge of reading for 30 minutes a day for 30 days. The Readers were organized by sixth-grade teacher Paula Davis and celebrated much success, with two students reading more than 30 books each.

“I am delighted to join the outstanding Radical Readers at Greenbelt Middle School to close out Read Across Maryland month this year,” Governor O’Malley said. O’Malley joined the group despite the busy close to the legislative session.

“I want to say thank you, to all of you, for applying yourselves, for actually doing the reading and reading the books. And I also want to say thank you to your parents, grandparents and family members who back you up in doing that. There’s no more important work that goes on anywhere in our country … than the work you do in the classroom.”

O’Malley and Hite read “Oh! The Places You’ll Go,” by Dr. Seuss to the audience. The audience was made of parents and family members, but there were also several city government people; Greenbelt Mayor J. Davis, Mayor pro-tem Emmett Jordan, councilman Konrad Herling, Ed Putens, councilwoman Silke Pope and school board Member Peggy Higgins.

The Governor also gave special recognition to the school, sharing that students were up 21 percent in their test scores over the past four years and that Maryland public schools have been voted Best Public Schools in America for three years in a row by Education Week Magazine.

“Never in my seven years of teaching have I been a part of a program like this … I knew it would be awesome just because it was getting the kids to read more, but this is just amazing,” Paula Davis said. “When they walked through the halls they were like, ‘I’m a Radical Reader. Are you a Radical Reader? How many books have you read? Oh I’ve read more than you!’ So, it’s just amazing and has changed my life as a teacher because it has given me a greater appreciation for just seeing how kids are so excited and enthusiastic about reading.”

All students were presented with certificates for their hard work and a few got a little extra for their added effort. Two Barnes and Noble Nooks were given to Aminata Diallo and Nelson Chen and then two Barnes and Noble $50 gift certificates were given to JaQuan Brown and Katherine Breon for their outstanding Radical Readers work. Nooks were also handed out to Greenbelt Librarian Ellen Utley, Prince George’s County Memorial Library System Director Kathleen Teaze and one  was also donated to Greenbelt Middle School’s Library.