Thomas County first and second graders at Garrison Pilcher Elementary School celebrated Read Across America week with a culminating Read-A-Thon that included community guest readers, 5000 books read, and administrators paying the price for it!

Teachers picked a time frame where students could read books to truly enjoy, and not test on through Accelerated Reader or a classroom assessment. Students used flashlights for reading in the dark, blankets and stuffed animals to snuggle up with a good book, reading books brought from home, and having guest readers in their classrooms. For every book read, the students placed a tally under the picture of the person they wanted to see get “a pie in the face.”  Principal Robin Binion, Assistant Principal Chad Parkerson, and Media Specialist Elexis Griffin were the candidates who eventually tied and all got pies in their faces via live stream the following week.

Local authors like Jeff Lovett shared with various classes in the library his writings that he completed for his granddaughter. He talked to the students about why he chose to write and draw pictures. Lovett then started a story out loud and had the students add to it to create an even bigger story.

Over 60 community members volunteered to read at the school including local radio personalities, members of the 2023 State Champion Thomas County Central High School Yellow Jacket football team, TC Masquers Drama Club students, local business people, parents, and the one and only “Papa D” TCCHS Dean of Students Frank Delaney.

"To see the involvement of our community within our school on this day was such a fun experience for us all,” said Griffin. “The students enjoyed just getting to read and enjoy it.”