Meadowfield Elementary School student Joshua Richard, who was the top elementary school reader, slimes Dr. Witherspoon.
A lot of Richland One students really wanted to see the superintendent of the school district get slimed, and they proved it by reading for more than six million minutes.
On February 12, Richland One Superintendent Dr. Craig Witherspoon challenged students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade to read for 1.5 million minutes (or 25,000 hours) by March 28. If students met or exceeded that goal, Dr. Witherspoon promised that the top elementary school and middle school students would have the opportunity to slime him.
The results of the 2024 Superintendent’s Book Club Challenge are in—students exceeded the goal by reading for 6,010,907 minutes.
To become a member of the Superintendent’s Book Club, each student had to read for 1,000 minutes. This year, 2,327 students became members of the Book Club.
A special celebration was held April 25 at C.F. Bolden Stadium ( adjacent to W. A. Perry Middle School), where students got to slime Dr. Witherspoon.
Dr. Craig Witherspoon Photo by Phillip Jones
“I want you to keep reading. Keep that imagination. Keep your minds open. Thank you for opening up your mind, opening up a book and continuing to grow,” Dr. Witherspoon said to students during the celebration.
University of South Carolina women’s basketball player Sania Feagin, who recorded a video message to encourage students during the challenge, surprised the top students and joined in the fun by sliming the superintendent. Children’s book author Derrick Barnes served as the event’s guest speaker.
During the celebration, Dr. Witherspoon announced the top elementary school students and the top middle school students who read for the most minutes. Joshua Richard of Meadowfield Elementary School was named the top elementary school reader with 21,374 minutes. Ziyon Kinsey-McNabb of Alcorn Middle School was named the top middle school reader with 12,474 minutes.
The top 10 elementary school readers also included:
•Grace Wilder—Rosewood Elementary School (18,716 minutes)
•Alexandra Peryshkova— Rosewood Elementary School (18,362 minutes)
•Ethan Canzater—W.S. Sandel Elementary School (16,006 minutes)
•Kavion Felder—Horrell Hill Elementary School (15,234 minutes)
•Benjamin Starks—Horrell Hill Elementary School (14,479 minutes)
•Driscoll Lindenburg—A.C. Moore Elementary School (9,593 minutes)
•King Boykin—W.S. Sandel Elementary School (9,204 minutes)
•Teion Washington—Satchel Ford Elementary School (7,645 minutes)
•Ellie Rhodes—Brockman Elementary School (7,319 minutes)
The top 10 middle school readers also included:
•K’Mariyn Anderson— Alcorn Middle School (10,080 minutes)
•Eva Jaillette—Crayton Middle School (7,293 minutes)
•Isabella Briggs—Crayton Middle School (6,883 minutes)
•Sanaa Stokes—W.G. Sanders Middle School (6,670 minutes)
•Louisa White—Crayton Middle School (5,460 minutes)
•Samantha Onate-Diaz— Southeast Middle School (5,023 minutes)
•Bryan Green—Southeast Middle School (2,747 minutes)
•Paris Ellis—Alcorn Middle School (2,657 minutes)
•Ayriana Ferguson—Hopkins Middle School (2,580 minutes)
Satchel Ford Elementary School was the top school overall and the top elementary school. Satchel Ford students read for 835,193 minutes. The average minutes read per student was 1,198.
W. A. Perry Middle School was the top middle school with 216,944 minutes. The average minutes read per student was 698.
The Superintendent’s Book Club Challenge started in 2022 on Read Across America Day. The goal that inaugural year was for students to read 250,000 books. Students across the district met and exceeded the challenge by reading a combined total of 561,731 books. In 2023, the goal was for students to read 750,000 books. Students exceeded it by reading 1,046,651 books.
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