VIDEO: O.P. Principal Kisses Pig to Encourage Student Reading

Posted

Photo Courtesy Rheetha Lawlor Photo Courtesy Rheetha Lawlor

Osbourn Park High School Principal Neil Beech pledged to kiss a pig if students read 4,000 books. Thursday morning he kept his promise.

Dozens of students and teachers gathered in the school library  with cameras to witness the event in the name of student literacy.

" encouraged us to record the books that we've read on the sheet in her room and to read more. I think it's great," junior Rebecca Sabean said.

Teachers also shared in the excitement as students closed in on the goal.

"My students read 20 minutes in class every day because they want to see Mr. Beech kiss a pig. It's fun," English teacher Craig Stephens said.

Daisy, "The World's Most Famous Pig," is from Bristol , Connecticut and belongs to "Farmer Minor." Together, they travel to school libraries across the country in a campaign, "Pig Out on Reading."

Through the program, school principals, teachers, librarians, business executives, mayors, celebrities, and students have kissed Daisy in efforts to increase student reading.

The school's library team wanted to bring the program to Osbourn Park and after Beech approved, they set a goal of 4,000 books. Teachers posted signup sheets in their classrooms for students to record books they read independently at home, while the library used the circulation system to record books that students checked out at school.

"I saw the pig at a librarian conference and Farmer Minor has his pigs visit the different school libraries. I thought it was great and was surprised. Mr. Beech showed a lot of support for literacy by this," school librarian Rheetha Lawlor said.

Because the student body exceeded the goal and read 4,046 books, Beech placed a dried apple cookie between his lips and fulfilled his promise. He kissed the pig a second time from the opposite side and then addressed the students.

"This is happening because all of you, the school, are committed to reading and there is nothing more important for you to do as students then read. So, thank you for reading 4,001 books over the last few months, including all of the snow days that we've had. I appreciate the commitment to reading and reading more, but I'm not doing this again next year," Beech said.

featured, manassas, neil-beech, osbourn-park-high-school, pig