MEDIA
CONTACT: Matt Cardoza,
GaDOE Communications Office, mcardoza@gadoe.org
Cindy Morley,
Communities in Schools of Georgia, cmorley@cisgeorgia.org
January 18,
2017 -- The Georgia
Department of Education is partnering with Communities in Schools of Georgia,
the Yaarab Shriners of North Georgia, and Atlanta City Council Member Mary
Norwood to launch the Red Fez Reading Club, which will encourage the
development of students’ early reading skills.
The primary
purpose of the club is to improve early reading skills by encouraging literacy
for children, families, and communities. As an incentive, children are able to
earn up to 10 tickets to the annual Shriners Circus for every 10 books they
read between February and May of 2017.
Participating
schools can enroll their readers through the State
Longitudinal Data System (SLDS), and print tickets through the SLDS to the
Yaarab Shrine Circus & Fair at Jim R. Miller Park in Marietta for students.
Please contact Cindy Morley at cmorley@cisgeorgia.org
for more information on participation, enrollment and tickets.
“Literacy is
absolutely essential for our students’ success, and we need to encourage a love
of reading in Georgia’s children in any way possible,” State School
Superintendent Richard Woods said. “We’re very pleased to partner with other
organizations who care deeply about educating Georgia’s future to offer a fun,
creative incentive for reading.”
Carol Lewis,
President and CEO of Communities in Schools of Georgia, underlined the
importance of making reading exciting for students.
“Anything we
can do to help children read, and help put the fun back in reading, is
extremely important to us,” Lewis said. “We know that a child who is not
reading on grade level by third grade will struggle throughout their academic
career, and may even become frustrated and drop out of school. We are extremely
excited that three of our affiliates – CIS of Douglas County, CIS of
Marietta/Cobb and CIS of Atlanta – along with our AmeriCorps programs – will be
participating in the launch of the Red Fez Reading Club.”
“The Red Fez
Reading Club is designed to help break down barriers and put the fun back in
reading,” Atlanta City Council Member Mary Norwood added. “I am committed to
ALL Atlantans and am very supportive of this initiative as well as the promise
it holds for children who participate in the Red Fez Reading Club. Our children
are our future and I always strive to do everything possible to help them learn
and have an equal footing in life as well as a future they can look forward
to.”