Howard College, San Angelo READS! and pre-kindergarten students at Belaire Elementary celebrated literacy and the love of reading with a book giveaway and a read aloud of a popular children’s book earlier this month. On April 9, every pre-kindergarten student in San Angelo ISD received a brand new copy of “How the Crayons Saved the Earth” by Monica Sweeney, generously provided by Howard College. In celebration of the giveaway, Pam Callan, Howard College San Angelo Provost, read the book to excited pre-K students in the school’s library.

In “How the Crayons Saved the Earth,” a group of crayons notices that the Earth is becoming dirty and neglected. They decide to come together and use their creativity to make a difference. Each crayon contributes in its own unique way – drawing, writing and spreading messages about caring for the planet. Through teamwork, imagination and a strong sense of purpose, the crayons inspire others to take better care of the environment. The story encourages young readers to believe in the power of small actions and shows that everyone, no matter how small, can help protect the Earth.

You can watch highlights from this read aloud below and others on the San Angelo READS! YouTube Channel. For more information on how to join San Angelo ISD in championing literacy, email us at [email protected]. To stay up-to-date on San Angelo ISD, please visit the SAISD website at www.saisd.org and follow us on Instagram, Facebook and X. Community members are encouraged to share how they celebrate literacy and participate in San Angelo Reads! through the hashtags, #SAISDReads and #SanAngeloREADS. Keep Reading, San Angelo!

About Howard College

Howard College is dedicated to providing accessible, high-quality education to individuals across its 13-county service area in West Texas. Committed to excellence and ethical integrity, the college offers diverse programs through its four campuses – Big Spring, Lamesa, San Angelo, and the Southwest College for the Deaf. With a focus on student success, critical thinking, and lifelong learning, Howard College supports all learners in reaching their educational and professional goals in a positive, inclusive environment.

San Angelo READS!

The San Angelo READS! community-wide literacy initiative was founded by the District in 2020 to promote and encourage reading and the SAISD future-ready learner profile attributes among SAISD students and the greater San Angelo community. The goal of the literacy initiative is to increase awareness of the importance of literacy and to inspire a love for reading. This exciting initiative is driven by statistics which show how vitally important literacy is in providing all students with the opportunities to succeed at a young age. Children and teenagers who read for pleasure on a daily or weekly basis score better on reading and writing tests than infrequent or non-readers.

SAISD kicked off San Angelo READS! on December 9, 2020 with the inaugural San Angelo Reads! Day, a day when literacy was celebrated at every SAISD elementary campus with literacy fun like read-ins, unveiling book vending machines and a gift of a book to all SAISD third-graders compliments of the San Angelo Area Foundation. Inside and outside our classrooms, SAISD is committed to building literacy skills which create students who are prepared for future success, thus building a better tomorrow for our students and community.