Principal Chows Down on Fried Worms to Promote Reading
Amelia Blackledge, Paraprofessional and Book Fair Chairperson
Bloomsburg Memorial Elementary in Bloomsburg, Pa.

The things educators do these days to promote books and make reading more appetizing for students just keeps getting more funky – and flavorful.

To promote reading during the annual school Book Fair, Ryan Moran, the principal of Bloomsburg Memorial Elementary in Bloomsburg, Pa., feasted on a plate of fried worms, bell peppers and onions as more than 400 wide-eyed and gasping students looked on in disbelief.

Moran’s earthworm chow-down was the culmination of a reading contest dreamed up by Paraprofessional and Book Fair Chairperson Amelia Blackledge, winner of the Scholastic Book Fairs spring 2008 national contest. The duo challenged students to tally 150,000 minutes of reading time over four weeks leading up to the school’s Book Fair. In keeping with the Book Fair spring theme, "Take a Reading Road Trip," students logged one mile for every minute of reading time.

Blackledge dreamed up the idea for the Worm-Plate Special in hopes it would really motivate students to read. "We wanted to come up with something that hasn’t been done too often," said Blackledge. "And it truly did motivate our students; they became reading machines."

Indeed they did. The students eventually doubled the goal, amassing 300,000 minutes and traveling 300,000 miles throughout the country. The Road Crew provided daily progress reports via the school’s closed circuit TV system. As result of all the pre-Book Fair promotions, which included a Community Day attended by the mayor, police chief and president of the local university, $16,000 worth of books were purchased during the week-long event.

When the big day arrived, a news crew from the local TV station was on hand to film the slithering gastronomical smorgasbord. To Blackledge’s surprise, Principal Moran talked her into joining him in the stunt, which elicited ear-ringing cheers from the students. To make the worm a little more palatable, he graciously smothered it in chocolate sauce before handing it over to Blackledge. Did that make the wiggly bill of fare any easier to digest?

"Not really," admitted Blackledge. "I swear I tasted worm for days."

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