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On Friday, February 29 (Leap Day) hundreds of SCCPSS students will celebrate Leap Into Reading, a community-wide initiative organized by Read It Loud! Savannah, with the help of parents, volunteers, teachers, librarians, childcare professionals and other caregivers.

Read It Loud! Savannah organized the Leap Into Reading project to raise awareness about the importance and benefits of reading aloud daily to young children.

Among the more than 130 sites participating in Leap Into Reading, the Chatham County Youth Commissioners will visit the 55 SCCPSS Pre-K classrooms located at 30 area schools to read aloud to the children for about 45 minutes on Friday, February 29, 2008 beginning at 9:15 a.m.  

Special guest readers will include, Alderman Van Johnson who read to the Pre-k class at Gadsden Elementary School and Gulfstream employees who will read to students at Pulaski and Pooler Elementary Schools along with parents and community volunteers reading at various schools.

Each of the SCCPSS Pre-K students will receive from Read It Loud! Savannah; a free book and information to take home with tips and encouragement for reading aloud to children.

The mission of the Read It Loud! Savannah initiative is to communicate the importance and benefits of reading aloud to children, especially from birth through age five. People who are read to as children are far more likely to develop an interest in reading and achieve academic and financial success in life.

For more information, contact Hannah Paquette, Read it Loud! Savannah Campaign Manager at (912) 652-3655.