Spanish Fork Elementary schools bring the rodeo in to encourage reading
First grader Maia Baird attempts to rope the practice bull as Nick Hanks, the Fiesta Days Rodeo chairman, assists at during the Fiesta Days Rodeo reading assembly at Spanish Oaks Elementary on Wednesday, March 21, 2018, in Spanish Fork.
From left, principal Kali Brown and Nick Hanks cheer after the students beat the teachers in barrel racing during the Fiesta Days Rodeo reading assembly at Spanish Oaks Elementary on Wednesday, March 21, 2018, in Spanish Fork.
Third grader Kamella Varela answers Seth Perrins' questions during the Fiesta Days Rodeo reading assembly at Spanish Oaks Elementary on Wednesday, March 21, 2018, in Spanish Fork. Varela was one of the winners of the Fiesta Days Rodeo reading competition.
Teachers and students barrel race during the Fiesta Days Rodeo reading assembly at Spanish Oaks Elementary on Wednesday, March 21, 2018, in Spanish Fork.
Landon Hanks, a third grader at Mt. Loafer Elementary, practices his roping before the Fiesta Days Rodeo reading assembly at Spanish Oaks Elementary on Wednesday, March 21, 2018, in Spanish Fork. Hanks demonstrated roping to the students of Spanish Oaks Elementary.
Kali Brown, the principal at Spanish Oaks Elementary, definitely will be attending the Fiesta Days Rodeo.
“I get to wear my boots,” Brown said with a smile after the school finished up the fourth annual Fiesta Days Rodeo reading assembly.
The excitement wasn’t only in the teachers.
Seth Perrins, the city manager for Spanish Fork and one of the presenters during the assembly, said that you can see and hear the enthusiasm each time they put on the assembly.
Spanish Oaks Elementary was Perrins’ and Nick Hanks’, chairman of the Fiesta Days Rodeo, 10th and final school assembly to present at in the past three days. The assemblies focus on explaining the reading challenge that the rodeo sponsors. Perrins challenged the students to beat last year’s reading total of 2,388,702 minutes.
Perrins and Hanks educate the students on the rodeo and showcase the excitement through videos, but you don’t have to take their word for it.
The second half of the assembly demonstrated the skills needed to participate in the rodeo.
The sound of the rope tightening around the practice bull faded under the claps and cheers from the students as Landon Hanks, a third grader from Mount Loafer and Nick Hanks’ son, successfully roped the practice bull.
A team of teachers competed against students in a tamed-down version of barrel racing. Even though the teachers would want to dispute the outcome of the race, the overall takeaway of the assembly was a renewed energy for reading and rodeo.
