Literacy Ambassadors

One hundred Lithonia High School athletes took a break from the action to give back to elementary school students with the gift of literacy. The high school students visited Stoneview Elementary School on March 22 and were paired with the younger children, to whom they read a book written by New England Patriots wide receiver Malcom Mitchell.

During a visit he made recently to Lithonia High, Mitchell challenged 100 athletes to share the magic of reading with the elementary students. Mitchell talked about the importance of reading. He also told the story of how he struggled to read while a student at the University of Georgia, but overcame that great challenge by practicing reading with the same fervor that he practiced football.  In the end, he charged the students to become literacy ambassadors for Lithonia High and the community.

A local literacy nonprofit, Page Turners Make Great Learners, teamed up with Lithonia High to gift 100 copies of Mitchell’s book, The Magician’s Hat, to the Stoneview students. In the book, Mitchell presents the story of a magician who invites kids to reach into his hat and become whatever they want to be making their wildest dreams come true.

Stoneview Elementary School Principal Cassandra Davis said the 100 students from her school who participated in the reading day were selected based on their academic performance and behavior.  Stoneview  was identified on the governor’s list as a “turn around” school  that falls in the bottom 5 percent of the state’s College and Career-Ready Performance Index (CCRPI).  Davis said the students and community are striving to fulfill the school’s motto: “We can, we will, we must succeed.”

Lithonia High School Principal Darrick McCray said his students were excited to participate in the literacy project and do their part to make a difference in the lives of younger students on the path to excelling.

“Literacy is extremely important and what better way to spark that interest and pass it along to others than to share in a project like this,” said McCray.