Shelby Elementary was recently the recipient of a $2,000 award for their students’ participation in the Read Be A Champion contest.

The annual contest is sponsored by the Alabama Education Association to get students excited about reading.  Students who read six grade level appropriate books are eligible to be entered into a contest for the chance to win Iron Bowl tickets.  Schools with at least 70 percent school-wide student participation are entered into a drawing for a $2,000 prize.

This year, Shelby Elementary won the monetary prize, which will be used to purchase new books for the library to help implement a summer reading program.  In addition to purchasing new books, the library will open once a week to allow students the opportunity to check out books and magazines during the summer.

“Through all of these efforts, we hope to instill the love of reading and help foster lifelong readers,” said Ashley Venable, the school’s Library Media Specialist.