Principal Paula Davis of Miguelito Elementary School appeared as a turkey at the school Monday as a result of students meeting a reading challenge she recently issued.

The principal began wearing her costume at 10:50 a.m. that day at the school at 1600 W. Olive Ave., where many students had already begun saying “gobble, gobble” to her as she walked by them on the school grounds.

“We agreed that the principal would run the ‘Turkey Trot,' which we run on our track,” principal secretary Markie Cowans said. “Normally, we have it the day before Thanksgiving break, but we are calling it ‘The Great Turkey Run' because she is running the same field the students run on.”

Davis seemed up to the challenge Monday as she stood in the main office with her feathers, beak and all.

“It's going to be tough,” she said of the run, “but the students have earned it.” Davis added in her turkey persona that her favorite book is “Stone Soup” and not “Hatchet” by Gary Paulsen.

She said the students had been reminding her of this day for a while with their turkey imitations.

“They've been saying it for a month,” Davis said. “I hope this puts a rest to it!”

Advertisement

As expected, the students began chanting “gobble, gobble” once again when Davis trotted to the field to make her promised run.

Cowans added the students cut her some slack and only made her run one lap, whereas the students run several when they compete in the “Turkey Trot” each year.

The principal held the reading challenge for two months, from Jan. 23 to March 23. Students needed to get 16,000 reading points to meet their goal.

They more than met their goal this year with 19,625 points. Kindergarten and first-grade points were based on a home reading program that is counted weekly.

For second- through fifth-graders, points were based on the number of Accelerated Reader points students earned in the nine-week period.

The Accelerated Reader Program has students take a computerized quiz that asks questions and checks comprehension on books they read.

“The reading challenge is meant to motivate students to read more books and build school spirit,” Cowans said.

She said the challenge has been done at the school at this time in previous years and other contests have taken place in the past.

“Another principal sat on the roof, dressed as a seagull,” she said.

Cowans did not know which students specifically came up with the idea but it was the fifth-grade class.

“I believe it was the fifth-graders in Mrs. (Chris) Robberson's class,” she said.

Following the turkey's nervous lap, which was accompanied by students and the animal backtracking in the wrong direction, a number of students felt the principal needed to hustle more.

“She's cheating!,” 10-year-old Selena Garcia said. “She's a slowpoke!”

Amanda Mosby, 10, and Cristian Bueno, 10, agreed.

“We had to read so many books,” Amanda said.

“Mrs. Davis is a slowpoke!” Cristian said.

Beverly Anderson, 11, agreed with the slowness, and Cameron Good, 10, said he did not want another trot in the future. Daniel Juarez, 11, also said she was cheating, and Lucas Derflinger, 11, said she was barely running the track.

Shawna White, 11, said she plans to take some action as a result of the trot.

“I think we need a refund!” she said.

Ryan McMaster can be reached at 737-1057 or rmcmaster@lompoc

record.com.

April 17, 2007