Whataburger, San Angelo READS! Celebrate Literacy on 6th Annual San Angelo READS! Day

Whataburger, San Angelo READS! and third-grade students at Crockett Elementary School came together to celebrate literacy during the 6th annual San Angelo READS! Day on December 11.

The celebration kicked off with a special read-aloud at Crockett Elementary School, where Misty Jackson, Operating Partner of Whataburger in Brownwood, read to 60 third-grade students in the school library, bringing the book “Whoosh! Lonnie Johnson’s Super-Soaking Stream of Inventions” to life. 

The children’s picture-book biography tells the true story of Lonnie Johnson, the inventive mind behind the popular Super Soaker® water gun. It follows Lonnie from his childhood in Alabama – where he was always tinkering with rockets, robots and homemade creations – to his career as an engineer working on important projects at NASA. Along the way, it highlights his persistence, creativity and problem-solving skills, showing how a failed attempt to design a new cooling system ultimately led to the invention of the Super Soaker. Through colorful illustrations and engaging storytelling, the book celebrates innovation, hard work, perseverance and thinking outside the box.

Several other local Whataburger team members also attended the read aloud to show their support for literacy and public education, including Joseph Boser, Operating Partner of the San Angelo Whataburger on Knickerbocker Road; Elizabeth Hernandez, Operating Partner of Whataburger at 1830 N Bryant Blvd.; Tran Quyen, Market Leader – San Angelo/Brownwood/Big Springs; Kyler Franklin, Field Marketing Partner West Texas; Bryanna Hernandez, Operating Partner of Whataburger at 5855 Sherwood Way; and Dianet Leiva, Operating Partner of Whataburger at 3202 Sherwood Way.

Throughout the day, campuses across San Angelo ISD celebrated literacy with book-themed activities and visits from guest readers who read aloud to students, reinforcing the district’s commitment to fostering a lifelong love of reading.

A highlight of the day was the districtwide third-grade book giveaway, made possible through the generous support of Whataburger, the official sponsor of San Angelo READS! Day. Every third-grade student across the district received their own copy of the book to take home and enjoy, helping extend the joy of reading beyond the classroom. San Angelo ISD thanks Whataburger for helping spark curiosity, creativity and a love of reading in students. Keep reading, San Angelo! 

You can watch highlights from this read aloud below and others on the San Angelo READS! YouTube Channel. For more information on how to join San Angelo ISD in championing literacy, email us at communications@saisd.org. To stay up-to-date on San Angelo ISD, please visit the SAISD website at www.saisd.org and follow us on Instagram and Facebook. Community members are encouraged to share how they celebrate literacy and participate in San Angelo Reads! through the hashtags, #SAISDReads and #SanAngeloREADS. Keep Reading, San Angelo!

About San Angelo READS!

The San Angelo READS! community-wide literacy initiative was founded by the District in 2020 to promote and encourage reading and the SAISD future-ready learner profile attributes among SAISD students and the greater San Angelo community. The goal of the literacy initiative is to increase awareness of the importance of literacy and to inspire a love for reading. This exciting initiative is driven by statistics which show how vitally important literacy is in providing all students with the opportunities to succeed at a young age. Children and teenagers who read for pleasure on a daily or weekly basis score better on reading and writing tests than infrequent or non-readers.

SAISD kicked off San Angelo READS! on December 9, 2020 with the inaugural San Angelo Reads! Day, a day when literacy was celebrated at every SAISD elementary campus with literacy fun like read-ins, unveiling book vending machines and a gift of a book to all SAISD third-graders compliments of the San Angelo Area Foundation. Inside and outside our classrooms, SAISD is committed to building literacy skills which create students who are prepared for future success, thus building a better tomorrow for our students and community.

About Whataburger 

Whataburger has more than 1,000 locations in 14 states and is committed to serving its communities. The Whataburger Feeding Student Success program focuses the organization’s charitable giving at the intersection of food insecurity and education through college resource rooms, scholarships and community philanthropy. Since launching the program in 2020, Whataburger has given more than $5 million to support communities and students in need.