Washington County School District

Sandersville, Georgia

Partnering with the Community to Promote Literacy

Through Community Events for Washington County Families

Through Ferst Readers Subscriptions for Washington County Children from Birth to Four Years Old

Children's Summer Bookmobile for Davisboro and Tennille

Local high schoolers, Kessler and McFerrin Bibb shared their love of reading by donating books to the Chamber Book Drive.

WACO Reads has a summer project to encourage our county's children to read while on break. A bookmobile will visit Davisboro and Tennille once a week during the summer to provide children with books. The Washington County Chamber of Commerce, along with WACO Reads, sponsored a book drive for the summer bookmobile inventory.

Brentwood's Interact Club President Addison Upton along with teacher Allison Doolittle presented a donation and over 200 books for the Chamber Book Drive.

Ferst Reader Book Subscriptions

Ferst Readers is an organization that provides age appropriate books for children from birth to five years of age for twelve months at a low yearly cost. WACO Reads sought community sponsors to fund subscriptions for children in Washington County. Thanks to the generosity of our community over 150 children can receive a free book subscription.

Thanks to Tennille Rotary Club for their generous donation to Ferst Readers to further the work of WACO Reads. Pictured are Rotarians Tricia Bryan and Taylor Everett.

Raising a Reader at Ridge Road

This year Ridge Road parents received a weekly literacy text through Parent Square, the Washington County School District's communication messenger, to support reading at home. Parents were encouraged to read daily with their children, have conversations to expand their little ones' vocabulary and use routine errands to build their child's background knowledge. These texts also promoted visiting the local library and the little free libraries around town as places to choose a variety of books.

Super Readers at Ridge Road Primary and Elementary School

I spy the home of a Super Reader! Each month, students at Ridge Road are recognized for being a Super Reader with MyOn. Part of this recognition includes a sign placed in the student's yard for a few days celebrating the reading accomplishment of these students. Students also have a Super Reader poster made with their picture along with receiving a reading medal and certificate.

Ridge Road Teachers Increase Their Knowledge

of Reading Instruction

Year 1 of LETRS Completed! Thirteen participants from the Washington County School District completed year 1 of a two year course on foundational literacy. LETRS or Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling provides the educator with understanding and strategies on structured literacy.

LETRS participants attend four face to face classes each year as well as complete modules online as part of their coursework .

UGA Archway Summit 2024:

A Community Focus on Literacy

Leah Clark, Washington County Director of Literacy, and Dr. Bubba Longgrear, Candler County School Superintendent, shared how their school districts partnered with stakeholders in their respective communities to promote literacy. Clark and Conni Fennell-Burley, Washington County UGA Archway Partnership Coordinator, formed a literacy taskforce in the Fall of 2022 called WACO Reads to organize community efforts to impact literacy.

Student Story Boards-Acrostics and a Haiku

Ridge Road Primary student Jade wrote about her brothers.

Ridge Road Primary student Jordyn wrote about his family.

Zoe, a Primary student, wrote an acrostic for her name.

Primary student Daisy wrote about puppies!

The City of Tennille and WACO Reads Join Forces to Celebrate Early Childhood Literacy this Spring

Tennille's Egg Hunt in March had over 150 people attend the community event.

Clark and UGA Archway Partnership Director Conni Fennell-Burley

Community partners like New Birth Christian Ministries, Washington County NB & PW Club, Tennille United Methodist Church and Janiya's Tutoring collaborated on these Tennille events to promote literacy for families.

In April, WACO Reads along with community partners hosted Literacy in the Park at the Tennille City Park where parents registered little ones for Ferst Readers and children selected a book to take home.

Children's Book Author Ms. Joann Dotson

Children's Book Author Ms. Yolanda Harris

Community partners came together to have a Child and Family Resource Fair in May 2024. Ridge Road Primary student Jade stopped by the WACO Reads table. Jade has a poem that will be published as a story board for WACO Reads community events.