Students at Staples Elementary School received their Read-A-Thon awards during a ceremony held Feb. 26. Their reading goal was 2,000 minutes and the promise that Principal Jason Luksik would wear the Cardinal costume - they did and he did. Students even exceeded their goal by 983 minutes. As they arrived at school surprised students saw a “big bird” in red that morning who continued greeting students as they entered the gym for the reading awards program (right). The Central Minnesota Boy’s Choir performed, followed by the reading award certifi cates for most minutes read and most improved readers handed out by Laurie Paskewitz (above). Each classroom kept track of their reading minutes per student during February “I Love to Read Month” and minutes were posted in the hallway following an Olympic Games theme. (Staples World photos by Janice Winter)