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SARATOGA SPRINGS — For the more than 800 students at Thunder Ridge Elementary School, reading is the game that matters. For a month, students have competed against teachers in "reading playoffs," earning small footballs for each hour they read.
They set a goal of reading 5000 hours, but the super readers went for extra yards.
"This year we're at 5500, so that was great to see," said one student.
A celebration Saturday was the culmination of all their hard work. The crowd went wild when a couple of BYU football players showed up for support. And what Super Bowl would be complete without a few cheerleaders?
But the game doesn't end there: The faculty also got in on the competition.
"The PTA came up with a list of several books and the students voted on which book they wanted the teachers to read," said Principal Jason Theler.
They picked the Hobbit. To test their knowledge, they faced off in a trivia match.
"I won in points but they won in energy and enthusiasm so it's a tie," Theler said.
It was a chance to remind students of the importance of reading, reward them for a job well done and perhaps see their teachers in a different light.
"He's normally really funny said 5th grader Jenna Prestwich of her teacher. "And this is the craziest I've seen him all year."
