News Article - 3 minute read

On December 1, 2025 Sigma Mu Mu Chapter, Third District of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc., concluded its fall Que Bucks Reading Program at Sugarland Elementary School by celebrating with students and teachers.  Sigma Mu Mu’s annual Que Bucks program at the Sterling, VA school encourages and motivates elementary school students to read by rewarding them for doing so. The celebration began during a school assembly in the gymnasium where the top reading classrooms for kindergarten through the fifth grade and the top two reading students in each grade were recognized.  The gym was packed with more than 150 excited children, teachers, and administrators who witnessed Sigma Mu Mu Basileus Paul Forbes present a $500 check to Sugarland Elementary on behalf of the chapter to demonstrate Sigma Mu Mu’s ongoing commitment to the school and students.

This year’s Que Bucks fall program included a pop-in visit to the school on 7 November. The visit focused on encouraging students to set reading goals and celebrate progress with “Que Bucks,” the program’s fun, positive-reinforcement coupons redeemable for school-approved prizes and privileges.  The program’s near-term objective is to increase daily independent reading minutes; the long-term aim is to help Sugarland students strengthen vocabulary, fluency, and stamina while associating reading with achievement and joy.  The school welcomed the team at the front office before Brothers Leroy Ross, William “Kip” Ward, Reggie Parker, Paul Forbes, Joseph Smith, and Jerome Smith dispersed into multiple classrooms to read aloud, model comprehension strategies, and speak with students about why reading every day builds confidence and opens doors.    During each classroom session, the brothers facilitated short read-alouds, asked story-based questions, and invited students to explain their thinking. Teachers incorporated the Que Bucks goals into existing routines, including book bins, independent reading time, and small group rotations.

After the December assembly in the gym, Sigma Mu Mu Brothers Dan Taylor, William “Kip” Ward, Duane Keye, Leroy Ross, Lee Johnson, Ryan Myers, Paul Forbes, and Jerome Smith helped the winning students purchase books from the library using Que Bucks earned during the fall competition.  The brothers also visited the winning classrooms for chapter-sponsored pizza party celebrations.  Sigma Mu Mu provided three pizzas and juice drinks to the top reading class in each grade from kindergarten to fifth grade and met with each winning classroom for 20 to 30 minutes to congratulate and encourage them to continue reading.