Principal kisses a pig for a good cause
RIDLEY PARK >> Would you kiss a pig? Lakeview Elementary School Principal Gloria Goldey did.
She challenged the students to read as many pages as they could during the Read-a-thon in March. Not only did the students read over 49,000 pages, but they raised over $6,500 towards a new playground.
The Read-a-thon in March was sponsored by the Lakeview Home and School Association in an effort to raise money for the playground and encourage the youngsters to read more. The school has a crowdfunding page too.
“Everyone is excited and I am a little nervous about kissing a pig. I never kissed a pig before but to stress the importance of reading and literacy we will do anything. I am so proud of our students and the money they earned during the Read-a-thon,” said Goldey.
The top readers were Giovanna Stanis, a first-grader and Christopher Nesbitt, a fifth-grader. Stanis read 3,128 pages and Nesbitt read 5,888 pages.
Nesbitt, 11, didn’t read just to see the principal kiss the pig; he said he likes to read. Stanis loves books about animals and has kissed a goat in her lifetime.
“I love to read. It runs in my family. I like science fiction and Dungeons and Dragons. I read between 20 and 30 books,” said Nesbitt.
Jason Maher, a kindergarten student and Zachary Bernaski, a thirdgrader were top fundraisers.
Maher, 6, loves to read books about sharks.
“My dad reads to me. I like when he reads to me. I do want Mrs. Goldey to kiss a pig,” said Maher. Zac Bernaski, 8, loves reading too. “I read over 1,000 pages. I can’t go to sleep without reading at night. Last year I read the entire series of ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid’ and I am reading ‘Guardians of Ga’hoole’ and the series ‘The Five Kingdoms,’” said Bernaski.
Raines the pig came to Lakeview Elementary School from the Ross Mill Farm in Bucks County. He appeared at the end of the assembly where top readers were honored and all readers who raised a dollar will receive a free kid’s meal from Applebee’s.
“The finale was awesome. The kids went ‘hog wild’ when they pig arrived,” said Goldey.
Donate to the playground fund can me bade at www.youcaring.com/ lakeviewelementaryplaygroundfund-764580.