What’s Right With Our Schools: Wilkinson County schools ‘Ride for Literacy’

WILKINSON COUNTY, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – The Wilkinson County School District is taking literacy to a whole new level. They held their annual ride for literacy event, hoping to change students’ reading skills for life.

Students who attend Wilkinson County Schools walked, jogged and rode bicycles to promote a good cause.

“We all get to walk, we get to burn some calories and exercise,” says Solomon Burney who attends Wilkinson County Elementary.

While burning those calories, students learned the importance of reading.

“Literacy is a big part of learning and that you can’t do anything without it,” Ava Council who attends Wilkinson County Middle School says.

It’s not an individual school sending this message. It’s an entire school district.

Angela Smith, principal at Wilkinson County Middle School says, “It involves all of our kids from Pre-K to 12 because what it does is it sends a very important message through all of our students that literacy is important even from Pre-K and certainly all the way through 12th grade.”

Principal of Wilkinson County Elementary, Judith Geter adds, “This lets them know that we all primary, elementary, middle, we all have an investment in children graduating from high school.”

Many educators say having the students come together as a district promotes literacy in a fun way.

“Learning is fun, this event is fun and I think this is a great way to show them,” Geter continues.

Board chairman Marjo Baisden says, “It worked together very well, it’s like that old expression, it takes a village. Well, we have to work from Pre-K to 12th grade.”

Wilkinson County Police closed highway 57 from Wilkinson County High School to Wilkinson County Primary School as students made their way down the road.