First Lady To Share Love Of Reading With Douglas County Schools

DOUGLAS COUNTY, GA — First Lady Sandra Deal will delight Douglas County young readers on a visit to three Douglas County Elementary Schools Thursday, Nov. 1. Deal will read to students at Sweetwater, Mt. Carmel and Annette Winn Elementary Schools.

Deal’s visit is part of a commitment she has made to promote early literacy in every student. “My goal has been and continues to be encouraging children to want to learn to read,” said Deal. “I plan to continue my visits to schools as long as I have the opportunity to serve and I hope to visit many of the schools I have not yet been to. Reading is the gift that keeps on giving and education is essential for any student to achieve lifelong success. Knowledge is power, and when we teach students to love reading at an early age, we give them the confidence to acquire that power for the rest of their lives.”

Deal, a former public school teacher, says it is critical that every student be able to read at grade level by the third grade to ensure future academic success. Deal is a co-chair of the Georgia Literacy Commission, which studies solutions to improve low literacy rates. She also plays a significant role in “Read Across Georgia Month” during March and has partnered with the Get Georgia Reading Campaign, an initiative tasked with ensuring all of Georgia’s students read on grade-level by the end of the third grade. Deal will select a book based on grade level for each school. Her favorite book to read aloud to students is “Will Powers” by Georgia author and Zac Brown Band member Coy Bowles.

First Lady Deal will make the following Douglas County School visits:

Annette Winn Elementary School, 3536 E Veterans Memorial Hwy, Lithia Springs, GA 30122 at 10:30 a.m.,
Sweetwater Elementary School, 2505 E County Line Rd, Lithia Springs, GA 30122 at 11:25 a.m.,
Then visit Mt. Carmel Elementary School, 2356 Fairburn Rd, Douglasville, GA 30135 at 1:15 pm.

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Photo courtesy Douglas County