Old Town - It's hard to keep a gymnasium full of elementary school students quiet and it's even harder to give them a secret and get them to keep it for a whole week. But the students at Old Town Elementary School didn't make a peep about a big surprise for their principal.

Principal Jeanna Tuell was shocked.

"I was completely floored by this reception. It was unexpected," she said.

Tuell was chosen by the New England Reading Association for a special award. The association usually recognizes someone from each New England state every year, and Tuell was chosen for the state of Maine. Her staff and students wanted to make sure her achievement didn't go unnoticed.

Assistant Principal Matthew Cyr said, "We knew we had to jump on top of this, this is a great opportunity to celebrate Jeanna for who she is as a leader."

Even Tuell's family was invited to share in the celebration. They watched as four books were given to the library and dedicated in her honor and a fifth book was read aloud by a student. It was a fitting ceremony for her award that's all about literacy.

"I think our school is just deeply committed to reading and making that our fundamental purpose. Our library is at the heart of our school, it's the center of everything we do so everything revolves around literacy," said Tuell.

Tuell says she owes a lot to her staff for their commitment to literacy.

And she had to give them credit for organizing an all school assembly without the knowledge of the school principal.

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