Garrison-Pilcher Elementary School’s annual Reading Rally during the week before Fall Break boosts enthusiasm about reading and presents an opportunity for young Yellow Jackets to positively interact with high school students in the district. 

 
First and second graders at the school are regularly celebrated for their reading victories with Accelerated Reading Parties and shopping at the AR Store with Wee Bee Bucks, and a return of the outdoor, interactive Reading Rally after the restrictions of COVID over the last two years was welcome.  

“This is a tradition that was started before I arrived, and I wanted to keep the tradition going,” said Elexis Griffin Garrison-Pilcher Media Specialist. “It is such a fun time that promotes reading and literacy for our students and staff.”

 
Prior to the Reading Rally, students chose a free book that was provided by proceeds from past Scholastic Book Fairs.  The Thomas County Central High School Marching Band played upbeat music to get the kids fired up as they entered the track area through a balloon canopy and spirit tunnel of football players and cheerleaders.  Football players ran along the edge of the crowd giving “high-fives” to the students and the cheerleaders led the students and staff in familiar chants and cheers to encourage first and second grade students to read daily, work hard, and take pride in being a Yellow Jacket.

“We could not have this event without TCCHS Principal Jamie Thompson allowing the students and staff to come and celebrate with us,” Griffin added. “The students at Garrison-Pilcher think it is super cool to have the high school students hang out with them.”

The excitement of the pep rally continued with the young readers, with books in hand, proceeding through stations to eat popcorn treats, take photographs, receive autographs from the athletes, and have books read to them by community volunteers.

Captions:

TCCHS football players Dezmond Jones, Tommy Hires, and Trey Brenton interact with first graders who each carry a book of their own at the Garrison-Pilcher Elementary School Reading Rally on Tuesday, October 4, 2022.  

Thomas County Schools Director of Digital Learning and Media Services Lindsay Thompson reads a book aloud to a small group of first graders at the Garrison-Pilcher Elementary School Reading Rally on Tuesday, October 4, 2022.