Things got a little sticky on the last day for students at St. Mary’s Catholic School in Niles.

Principal Sharon Gregorski found herself duct taped to the wall of the school gym Thursday after students exceeded a reading challenge for the month of March.

“This is a first for me,” said Gregorski of being taped up. “But I am so proud of [the students]. Not just because of how they read, but because of how well they did all year long.

“Every principal should be so lucky to have these kids.”

St. Mary’s students were challenged to read 21,000 minutes outside of school in the month of March.

Teacher Annika Otto said, as a whole, the school logged 27,614 hours with 80 percent of students participating.

“I was really impressed,” Otto said. “They usually meet the goal, but they went so far above and beyond this year.”

Fourth grader Edward DeGraff logged the most minutes with 4,560. He said he probably would have read that much anyway even if there wasn’t a challenge.

“I love reading because you get to be transported to a different place,” he said. “I stayed up late every night reading.”

Teachers told students they could tape the principal to the wall if they reached the goal of 21,000.

Students who logged their hours each week got one piece of tape for a maximum of four pieces of tape per student.

Otto said they had 115 pieces of tape total for the whole school.

The reading challenge payoff coincided with the school’s end of the year picnic.