NATCHEZ — Joseph Frazier Elementary School students broke ground on a big construction project Friday morning — building stronger minds through reading.

Kindergarten through fifth-grade students attended their annual kickoff celebration for the Accelerated Reader program, which encourages students to read independently and tests their reading levels with quizzes on the books of their choice.

Students dressed in hard hats clapped and sang during Friday’s celebration.

Teachers, staff and administrators showed they were equally hyped to see the students meet their reading goals this school year as they danced on stage in the school cafeteria with the letters “R-E-A-D.”

Frazier principal Orisha Mims said the school would have incentives to persuade their students to read more.

“In October, any student who has read four or more books and passes four AR tests will be loaded on a school bus and taken to the state fair in Jackson,” Mims said. “In addition, the first student who reads 100 books this school year will receive a $100 gift card.”

Coach Earl Gordon started by reading the first book, “Ready, Set, Build!” out loud to the students and then explained to them why reading is so important.

“The more you read, the more you know,” Gordon said. “The more you know, the more you grow.”