The Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Department and Ypsilanti Public Schools teamed up to promote “March is Reading Month” with the district’s elementary school students.

The “Book-A-Cop” program brought more than 30 deputies into all four elementary schools to read, watch movies and talk with the students about police work.

Deputy Charles Ball, who helped develop the program, said it provided a fun way to get kids interested in reading and gave them the opportunity to meet police officers at a young age.

“My thought was where can we do the most impact, and that impact will come with first-graders,” he said.

Ball said it was also a way for deputies to meet a few of the city’s younger residents.

“I thought it would be important for the department and officers to get a to know a lot of the kids of the neighborhood,” he said.

During March is Reading Month, all the district's elementary students were presented with a reading-related challenge. In the first grade, students were asked to read at home for 15 minutes each night. They were provided with a sheet for their parents to sign verifying they did so.

Grades 2-5 used computer software to complete several reading-related activities and challenges, then pass a test. All the first-graders who complete the reading challenge and the older students who pass the tests will go to see a movie at the Briarwood Mall theater.

Cameron Nelson and Autumn Wares are two Chapelle Elementary first-graders headed to Briarwood for the movie. They both said how much they love reading and made it clear they are excellent readers.

For Nelson, reading is a therapeutic activity.

“It makes you calm - you don’t have to be hyper when you read,” he said.

Wares’ reason was a little more simple.

“I’m really good at it,” she said.

Both were excited to have Sgt. Daryl Campbell read a story and watch a short movie with their class Thursday morning.

Ball said the program was also a learning experience for some deputies, who aren’t used to working outside of their comfort zone. He asked the kids be in a group around the deputies instead of at their desk because so many officers are used to having residents at a safe distance.

“For some deputies, it was a challenge, but we worked through it,” he laughed.

Ball called the program a success. He said although the kids were a little nervous to see the deputies the first week because they thought they had done something wrong, they were thrilled to see them by the month’s end.

Teacher Tiffany Powell agreed “Book-A-Cop” was a success.

“The kids just get so excited,” she said. “They really just couldn’t wait for it to be Thursday.”

Tom Perkins is a freelance writer for AnnArbor.com. Reach the news desk at news@annarbor.com or 734-623-2530.