The San Angelo READS! Summer Book Patrol rolled out across San Angelo on June 4, bringing books, smiles and summer fun directly to students’ doorsteps. In a one-day delivery event, San Angelo ISD administrators, principals, educators and staff hand-delivered more than 160 books, bags of activities, snacks and balloons to 24 students and their 41 siblings.

"One of the best parts of Summer Book Patrol is knowing that we’re keeping the love of reading alive, even while school is out," said Sun Cha, SAISD director of community relations. "Each book delivery is more than just a surprise – it’s an investment in a child’s learning journey.”

This annual event, an extension of the district’s San Angelo READS! initiative, is designed to foster a love of reading and help students stay engaged during the summer break. The surprise deliveries not only promote literacy, but also serve as a reminder that each child is supported and celebrated by their school community. 

"The excitement on a child’s face when they receive a book, especially from someone they know from school, is something special," Ms. Cha said. "It strengthens that connection between home and school, and reminds students that their education matters year-round. Summer Book Patrol is more than just delivering books – it’s about showing students that their school family is thinking of them, even when school’s out. Moments like these remind us how powerful it can be when education and community come together to support our kids.”

Special thanks go to the SAISD Difference Maker team and H-E-B for their partnership and dedication to building a culture of reading in San Angelo. 

To stay connected with all things San Angelo READS!, visit the SAISD website at www.saisd.org and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, X and the San Angelo READS! YouTube Channel for highlights and updates. 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.