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Howard College and San Angelo READS! Celebrate Pre-K Book Giveaway for Earth Day

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Howard College and San Angelo READS! Celebrate Pre-K Book Giveaway for Earth Day

Howard College and San Angelo READS! recently came together to celebrate literacy and environmental awareness with some of San Angelo ISD’s youngest learners. On April 9, Howard College San Angelo Provost Pam Callan visited Goliad Elementary School, where she read “Big Earth, Little Me” by Thom Wiley to an excited group of 60 pre-kindergarten students gathered in the school’s library.

“What is the most fun thing about learning?” Mrs. Callan asked.
“Learning!” several students enthusiastically replied.

“Do you know, you can read a book and when you’re reading, you can go to places that are way far away from here?” she continued. “You can learn about people who have done wonderful things, built things, invented things. You can learn about people who sing, who dance…”
“Or cook!” one student added, finishing her sentence.
"Or cook," Mrs. Callan agreed. 

“Reading is so important,” she said. “So any time you have a book around, ask someone to read to you so you can go to far off places and learn new things.”  

As part of the celebration, every pre-kindergarten student in San Angelo ISD received a brand-new copy of the book, generously provided by Howard College, helping extend the experience beyond the classroom and into students’ homes.

Held in connection with Earth Day — established in 1970 to promote environmental awareness and action — the event introduced students to the idea that even small actions can make a big difference. “Big Earth, Little Me” follows a young child who begins to notice the world around them and discovers that caring for the planet is something everyone can do, no matter how small they are.

“I see this as meeting two objectives,” Mrs. Callan said. “We’re showing the kids the importance of loving their big Earth and even though they’re little, they play a role – an important role. But also, they’re seeing the importance of reading and how reading can expand their world and take them to new places and they can learn.” 

You can watch highlights from this read aloud below and others on the San Angelo ISD YouTube Channel. For more information on how to join San Angelo ISD in championing literacy, email us at . To stay up-to-date on San Angelo ISD, please visit the SAISD website at saisd.org and follow us on Instagram and Facebook. 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 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.

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.