Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers read stories to third-grade and fourth-grade students at Sunset Ridge Elementary School today as part of the school’s Literacy Week celebrations to highlight the importance of reading.
“It was an honor to have Governor Evers visit Sunset Ridge to help us emphasize the importance of reading with our students,” said Sunset Ridge Elementary School Principal Brett Wilfrid. “As a former teacher and principal, Governor Evers knows how to connect and engage with students. Developing strong readers is a significant focus at our school and throughout our District, and it means a lot to have his support of our efforts to strengthen students’ literacy skills.”
In his State of the State address earlier this year, Gov. Evers declared 2025 the “Year of the Kid,” announcing more investments in K-12 education and public education.
Gov. Evers read “Gust” by Katie Meyer to third graders and “Why Not You?” by Ciara and Russell Wilson to fourth graders. After Gov. Evers read the books, he opened it up for questions from students. State Representatives Mike Bare and Alex Joers also were at the event and answered students’ questions.
Chris Rago, a third grade teacher at Sunset Ridge Elementary School, shared other activities the school hosted for Literacy Week, including their popular Read-O tradition.
“We have an all-school assembly at the end of the week and finish Friday with Read-O – literacy bingo – over the loudspeaker,” Rago said. “Once kids get a Read-O, they run in a loop in the hallway and outside yelling ‘Read-O’ until they get back to their classroom.”
Rago said Read-O is a student favorite.
“Seniors who come back for the senior walk at the end of the school year always talk about Read-O being their favorite memory,” he said.
Rago said Sunset Ridge kicked off Literacy Week with a Drop Everything and Read event in the hallways on Monday morning. Classrooms also hosted teacher swaps, where teachers traded classrooms to read to students for 20 minutes, as well as guest readers from the community.
Students and families also took part in Rise and Shine Reading, where family members arrived early in the morning to relax in the gym and read together.
Thank you to Gov. Evers, Rep. Bare and Rep. Joers as well as Sunset Ridge staff, families and community members for helping to foster a love of reading and highlighting the importance of literacy in student success.