Mountaintop edges Howard in BEA Reading Super Bowl

Even though Howard Elementary School was unable to reclaim its title, the school’s principal said the 11th annual Reading Super Bowl was hardly a failure.

The event, which was started under direction of former Bald Eagle Area School District Superintendent Dan Fisher, is a friendly reading competition among the four elementary schools in the Bald Eagle Area School District.

“It’s something that’s getting everyone reading,” said Skip Pighetti, district Title 1 director and Howard principal. “Reading is one of the first things they need to learn to be successful in the future, but it’s also building character development.”

Howard narrowly lost to Mountaintop Area Elementary School this year, but Pighetti said it wasn’t from a lack of trying.

“All buildings do a great job, and reading has increased over the years,” he said. “No one is really doing anything different, the students are just buying into it and doing it on their own.”

Howard third-grade teacher Margaret Bonson even agreed to read and take comprehension reading tests with her students.

“They love that kind of leadership in the classroom and that they’re not the only ones in this,” Pighetti said.

The competition primarily includes students in first to fifth grades, and about a dozen kindergarteners.

“This is the chance in the winter to give the kids something fun to do that involves reading and (gets) them through those winter days when they’re mainly inside,” Pighetti said. “They’re reading books and redefining their interests.”

Approved books come from the Scholastic Reading Counts program, and allows points to be generated after those students take comprehensive tests that include five to 15 questions.

About 600 students participated for the chance to win bragging rights and a trophy.

On Friday, the trophy will be delivered to Mountaintop Area after its engraved with the school’s name.

“The important thing is that they’re understanding what they’re reading, and there has been 83 percent comprehension overall in the district,” Pighetti said. “It’s showing that kids are actually wanting to read and understand what they’re reading.”

A report provided by Pighetti showed that students districtwide this year read 9,094 books, and more than 23 million words — an increase from last year.

This story was originally published February 12, 2017 at 8:46 PM with the headline "Mountaintop edges Howard in BEA Reading Super Bowl."