Parent Teacher Magazine Union County Public Schools May/June 2017 | Page 7

Books and Brackets literacy challenge makes the goal
It’s not unusual to walk
“What a high energy event for
into Cuddy Arena at Wingate
Wingate and our student athletes
University and hear the roaring
to host the 2017 Books and
cheers of excitement filling
Brackets victory celebration,” said
the air, but on Friday March
Wingate University Vice President
31st that high energy came
Vint Tilson. “Congratulations to
from 800 Union County Public
these third grade readers for the
Schools third graders.
hours read during the first annual
The excitement was
Books and Brackets!”
generated by the inaugural
Wingate athletes came from
Books and Brackets Reading
the basketball, softball, football
Challenge; an event that has
and Lacrosse teams.
been so wildly popular with
“We’re here to show that you
teachers and students that it is
can be book smart and an athlete,
slated to be an annual event.
as well,” said Wingate football
The literacy challenge,
player Cornel Cheron, a marketing
patterned after the March
intern at the university. “When
Madness basketball
you’re in school, if you study hard,
competitions, pitted third
it also translates on the field or
graders from all 30 UCPS
court, whatever sport you play.”
elementary schools in a five-
Books and Brackets sponsors
Union Elementary School takes the championship title for this year’s
week reading challenge that
included United Way of Central
Books and Brackets Reading Challenge.
began Feb. 27, 2017.
Carolinas, Wingate University,
“We started this for one
Big South Conference, Union
reason, because at Union County Public Schools, we value the
Power Cooperative, Goulston Technologies, Union County Education
importance of literacy and reading,” said UCPS Superintendent Dr.
Foundation, the Union County Public Library, Scholastic, Hinson
Andrew Houlihan. “By the time students enter third grade, reading
Electric, Robbins and Associates and Judge Chris and Kathy Bragg.
—This article was provided by the Union County Public Schools
is critically important to their future. There is only one champion
Communications Office.
for literacy in Books and Brackets, but to me, all our students are
winners. They’re all champions.”
During the five-week competition each school reported weekly
how many hours their third graders logged either at home or at
school. The weekly countdowns narrowed the playing field each week
from the 30 schools, beginning with the Sweet 16, then the Elite 8,
the Final 4, and then the Books and Brackets Champions.
By the end of the challenge, the system’s approximately 3,000
third graders had read a staggering 26 million minutes. To put this
into perspective, that equates to 430,000 hours or 54,100 days.
Union Elementary School took the championship title this year.
“This is just amazing,” said Principal Jennifer Deaton. “It’s good to
see the hard work. We’re the second smallest school in the whole
county. To see them take this on was amazing.”
“I thought we were going to win,” said Union Elementary third
grader Case Cox. “We started out strong and we read a lot. Toward
the end, we figured we might be able to come to this field trip, so we
started working even harder. And we won, so I’m really glad we read
a lot.”
Union Elementary third grader Dalila Rorie was a little skeptical
that her school would take away the championship title.
“When they said one school would be the champion, I was
thinking we weren’t going to win because all those other schools
have a ton of students more than us,” Dalila said. “Then when they
said Union Elementary, I was so excited. I don’t feel just happy, I
feel more than excited.”
Some of the strategies the school used was to have ongoing
reading times for about two hours after school. They also held
various fun events that focused on reading, such as an indoor
campout, complete with tents, sleeping bags and pretend fireplaces.
The dynamic Books and Brackets finale, held March 31 at Wingate
University, featured Wingate athletes and cheerleaders who helped
build the excitement for the end of the month-long competition.
Parent Teacher Magazine • May/June 2017 • 5