Kindergarten students Abigail Chagnon, left, and Tarack Ward Jr. pour softened ice cream April 12 on Principal Michael Glynn at Spruce Mountain Primary School in Livermore. Students won a challenge to read 5,000 books and were rewarded by turning him into an ice cream sundae. Pam Harnden/Livermore Falls Advertiser

LIVERMORE — Students at Spruce Mountain Primary School turned Principal Michael Glynn into a giant ice cream sundae after topping his challenge to read 5,000 books.

The contest was held as part of Read Across America during March. The theme was Reading is Sweet.

“Each kid got a bingo card with different options for reading in each square,” Glynn said, reading while eating a snack, before bed, with a friend, in the bathtub.

The goal was for the 360 students to read 5,000 books.

They surpassed that, reading 7,100, which is 1,100 more than last year.

Glynn entered the gym to cheers, then took a seat inside a kid-sized swimming pool.

Over the next several minutes, softened ice cream trickled down his head, back, arms and legs.

The teachers gave the students a round of applause for meeting the reading challenge, then one class at a time was called up to help create the sundae April 12.

First, Glynn ran through a lineup as students threw colored powder on him.

A first grade student squirts chocolate syrup April 12 on Principal Michael Glynn at Spruce Mountain Primary School in Livermore. Students won a challenge to read 5,000 books and were rewarded by turning him into an ice cream sundae. Pam Harnden/Livermore Falls Advertiser

Each grade then added sundae ingredients. Kindergartners started with cups of vanilla, chocolate or strawberry ice cream. First graders were responsible for chocolate and caramel syrup, strawberries, pineapple and marshmallow. Prekindergarten students squirted whipped cream — one can per class — with second graders finishing it off with sprinkles and cherries on top.

Prekindergarten student Chase Jackman gets help April 12 from a teacher in squirting whipped cream on Principal Michael Glynn at Spruce Mountain Primary School in Livermore. Students turned him into an ice cream sundae after meeting a challenge to read at least 5,000 books in March. Pam Harnden/Livermore Falls Advertiser

“It wasn’t as bad as I was anticipating,” Glynn said, dressed in shorts and a T-shirt and no poncho.

“A poncho takes away from the fun of it,” he said.

Classroom teachers tallied the books read and added to a display at the school entrance.

Students who got blackout on their bingo card had their name announced over the loudspeaker the following day.

Glynn said Julie Bolduc, Title 1 reading specialist, does a lot of the planning for this program.

Second grade student Evelynn Metivier adds cherries April 12 to finish off Principal Michael Glynn as an ice cream sundae at Spruce Mountain Primary School in Livermore. Students read more than 7,000 books during the Reading is Sweet challenge as part of Read Across America in March. Their reward was covering him with melted ice cream, sauces, whipped cream, sprinkles and cherries. Pam Harnden/Livermore Falls Advertiser

Bolduc said Glynn was a good sport to agree to the challenge that gets kids to read more.

“He hates getting sticky,” she said. “This is really outside his comfort zone. It is amazing he is willing to do this. He is awesome.”