Harbour View students take top spot in reading challenge

Angelique Flores

HUNTINGTON BEACH -- Harbour View Elementary School students won top

honors in the first Governor’s Reading Award Program, placing first among

750 schools across the state that competed in the challenge.

Ocean View School District, as a whole, made a strong showing in the

final results, with 12 of its 15 schools nabbing $5,000 grants from the

state for their reading performance.

But the youngsters from Harbour View outshined them all, reading a

combined total of 5.23 million pages and surpassing their goal of 4

million pages.

Harbour View students will continue the reading challenge on their own

until June 10.

Gov. Gray Davis began the program this year, challenging public school

students from all over California to read as many pages as possible for

six months. Each of the 400 schools that read the most pages will receive

a $5,000 cash award.

All of the district’s elementary schools and Vista Middle School made the

top 400. Courreges Elementary of the Fountain Valley School District, as

well as Hawes and Peterson elementaries in the Huntington Beach City

School District, also made the list.

The students who participated in the program did their reading during

independent study time and at home. Schools offered such incentives as

book exchange programs, opportunities to meet authors and displays of

student progress around campus.

To reward her students, Harbour View Principal Roni Ellis promised to

read from the rooftop of the school.

“Kids who like to read and have strong reading skills have the tools to

be successful,” Ellis said.

The program is fostering a love of reading that will benefit children in

their academic careers, she said. That’s one of the reasons Ellis said

she plans to raise the school’s goal for next year’s program.

Even before the governor’s incentive, Harbor View and other schools in

the Ocean View district have emphasized literacy with students.

The three middle schools in the district that did not make the governor’s

list won’t be left out. The district will award them each $5,000.

“Everyone did so well, and we want to reward all our schools,” Supt. Jim

Tarwater said.

Each school will form a committee to determine how the funds will be

spent. Some options that have been discussed are buying books and library

materials and hosting a carnival.