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For reading 275,462 pages over six months last year – on their own time – John Muir Elementary School students will be awarded $5,000 from the state.  

In the second year of the Governor’s Reading Award Program, John Muir is one of 800 California elementary and middle schools to receive an award. 

Participating schools ask students to keep a weekly log tallying up all the reading they have done at home. Kindergarten and first grade students can count the number of pages that parents or others read to them each night. 

“Students are encouraged to read anyway, but this program got people excited about exceeding that,” said John Muir Principal Nancy D. Waters. “Some students were even reading during recess. 

“We would talk about it in assemblies. We’d say, ‘Even if we don’t get the money, look what we’re going to get for ourselves.’” 

A committee of parents, students, teachers and other school staff will be formed to decide what to do with the $5,000 award. Waters said the money would probably be used to support the school literacy program in one way or another. 

Waters said John Muir students will be encouraged to continue to keep reading logs in the years ahead, as an incentive to read on their own time. 

“We really want out students to be reading, because that opens up the world to them,” Waters said.