Submitted photo Seventh-grader Annika Wyffels pie-ing her teacher, Mr. Cody Huiras

LAFAYETTE — Last year, Lafayette Public Charter School Robin Larson launched a reading program for her students. As many of them were Harry Potter fans, Larson put together a “House Cup” reading challenge. This entailed sorting students into Hogwarts houses and then letting them compete to see which house would win the challenge. For every 50 pages read (for fun, no school-required reading counted), students would receive a “Bertie Bott” for their house bottle. At the end of each quarter, the winning house, and any other students in grades 4-8 who had read at least 400 pages, would earn a House Cup Reading Challenge party, complete with a movie and Bertie Bott (all flavor!) jelly beans. “The kids loved it,” recalls Larson. In addition to student houses competing, Larson also kept track of pages read by individual students each quarter. “For third quarter, the top ten student readers would get to pie a teacher. That really got kids excited,” she said. However, the end of third quarter, and all of fourth quarter last year were done remotely. “I felt so bad for all the kids who worked so hard and read SO many books, and then they just had to walk away from school and sit at home in front of their computers. It was very anti-climactic.”

Enter school STEM teacher Lindsey Johnson. Larson approached Johnson to see if he might be able to fashion some kind of “socially-distanced, pie-in-the-face” pole. Johnson was up to the task, and, using conduit, cardboard in the shape of a large hand, and some rubber bands, produced a six-foot long pole to which pie tins could be attached. Students could hold one end of the contraption, and safely pie their chosen teacher. “The last week of school, teachers drove to students’ homes and those top readers successfully tested out the pie pole,” Larson recalls. “We videotaped the pie-ing (tins full of Ready-Whip) and put the videos on our school website. It was a fun way to end our strange year,” Larson recalls.

“We did the House Cup Reading Challenge again this year,” says Larson, “For this last quarter, teachers competed with students for spots in the Top Ten, to have the chance to pie another teacher or a student. It was another twist and kept many students motivated. No one wants to get beat – or pied – by a teacher!”

Last week was the House Cup Reading Challenge Top Ten finale. LCS students gathered on the front lawn as Larson announced the top ten readers. “Five of the top ten fourth quarter readers were teachers,” says Larson. “I told the kids that lots of grown-ups read for fun, and that I hope they, like their teachers, will also be life-long readers. Then came the “pie-ing.” Up first was seventh grader Skylar Lyimo, who read 10,500 pages. “Skylar just amazes me. She can read a novel in one sitting!” exclaims Larson.

Not far behind Lyimo was first and second grade teacher, Barbara Sullivan, who read over 9,000 pages. “There were also some ‘paybacks’ (or maybe I should say pie-backs?) during the event,” laughs Larson. “Sklyar pied me with the pole last year, so when it was my turn this year, I knew who I was going after. And it was fun when Annika Wyffels (7th grade) pied Mr. Huiras (6-8 instructor), and immediately afterward, it was HIS turn, and he got her right back.”

Larson hopes to continue the reading challenge next school year, as well. “We let the K-3 kids watch the pie event, and they were REALLY excited about it. I just want kids to LOVE reading. Whatever we teachers can do to help make that happen, we’re in!”

Lafayette Public Charter School 4th Quarter Top ten readers and their pages read: Skylar Lyimo (7th): 10,500; Miss Barbara Sullivan: 9,050; Alden Khan (7th): 3,410; Ms. Robin Larson: 3,361; Mrs. Sandy Hartley: 3,246; Himalaya Harrison (5th): 2,656; Mrs. Dawn Turbes: 2,464; Annika Wyffels (7th): 1,645; Mr. Cody Huiras.: 1634; and Peyton Lyimo (4th): 1,620.