Good News In Schools

Actors and authors; judges and pajamas; and cats with hats. What do these all have in common with Clayton County students? Schools throughout the district honored Dr. Seuss' birthday with activities to celebrate reading. Elementary schools invited special guests in for "Celebrity Read;" North Clayton Middle held "Chat and Chew" with noted author Sharon Flake; and Jonesboro High School students participated in "Letters and Labs" at four elementary schools. The buzz of excitement and fun of reading was all around the district.

Elementary Activities

Smith Elementary students enjoyed stories read by Mike Glanton, civic leader; Elisabeth Williams-Omilami, human rights activist; and Afemo Omilami, actor, as part of Celebrity Read on March 2. The district-wide initiative invites celebrities and community gatekeepers to come and read to fourth-grade students. In addition to making reading fun, the event encourages students towards excellence in academic achievement. Volunteers at Smith ES engaged students before reading by explaining their professions and inviting students to share their goals. Afemo Omilami ended his time with the students saying, "Dream Big, nothing can stop you, but you; you have to believe. I'm expecting great things out of you."

Riverdale Elementary students also learned "There's nothing like curling up with a good book in your pajamas." Students celebrated Dr. Seuss' birthday in the comfort of their pajamas while special guests engaged students in stories and conversation about books and life in general. Principal April Madden welcomed readers Dr. Tim Hynes, Clayton State University President; Daphne Walker, Chief Judge of Clayton County Magistrate Court; Cynthia Jenkins, foundation director of Southern Regional Hospital; and Ann Smith, treasurer-collector for the city of Riverdale.

Ambassador Readers

Many district high school teams served as reading role models through field trips to elementary students. These included - Morrow High School National Honor Society visited McGarrah Elementary; Mount Zion High School Literature, Sisterhood, and Key Club students visited Mount Zion Primary, while Jonesboro High School Latin and physics students shared science themed stories and experiments with four elementary schools: Anderson, Arnold, Edmonds, and Huie. JHS teacher Anna Cox developed the Reading Across America -"Letters and Labs" program with JHS physics teacher Bhagyalakshmi Gopalsingh. Students read books about life and earth sciences including topics on tornadoes, hurricanes, and the night sky. Their experiments focused on the strength of paper boats, sound waves, and hurricanes. This was the second year that Jonesboro HS students celebrated their love of reading with elementary students.

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