School & Family Magazine Newstand Mesquite ISD Winter 2017 | Page 14

F
or Mesquite ISD elementary
students in the Poteet High School
feeder pattern, Wednesday mornings
are a highlight of the week. It’s a time
when varsity football players—the
Pirates, to be exact—take time out of
their busy schedules to invest in little
Pirates by gathering around a book
together.
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Kimball, Porter and Price—to read weekly.
Said Owens, “What we’re trying to do is help
Mesquite ISD elementary students learn the
importance of reading. Just because we wear that
“Poteet” on our jersey, [the elementary students]
look up to us. That’s a great feeling, knowing that I
can have an impact on somebody’s life like that.”
Cannaday Principal Lauren Chism said the campus
visits have made a huge impression on her
students.
“We call it rock star status. [The Pirate football
PHS senior Emanuel “Bama” Owens helped
players] walk in,
develop the
and they’re instant
weekly reading
celebrities,” she
program, called
said. “The cool part
3rd & Goal, with
is when you see
fellow senior
the high schoolers
athlete Jimmy
kind of take off their
Phillips under
tough façade and
the supervision
start reading and
of Coach Rod
interacting with
McDaniel. Now,
literature with the
several other
kids. They love to
Poteet football
dance around with
players travel
the kids.”
with them to
the elementary
Chism said
schools—
Phillips, McDaniel and Owens pose for a photo with Superintendent Dr. David
another benefit is
Austin, Beasley, Vroonland and Board President Greg Everett at the Nov. 13 Board Meeting.
introducing male
Cannaday,
Community Liaison Jaci Mouser presented them with RPT certificates.