The Savannah-Chatham County Public School System will celebrate Literacy Week October 14 – 19, with a series of events designed to empower families, students and the community to exercise their #righttoread!   “Reading is a fundamental right,” said Dr. Denise Watts, Superintendent of SCCPSS.  “Reading means our students will be able to graduate and become productive citizens; becoming employed, contributing to the economy, providing for their families. And if we don’t, the consequences can be negative not just for the student themselves, but for our community.  So, it is imperative that we, as a school district and as a community, work together to make certain our students have every opportunity for choice filled lives.”

Kareem Weaver, Co-Founder & Executive Director of FULCRUM, will return to Savannah to share his experiences leading schools and districts in evidence-based methods of instruction, known today as the Science of Reading.  Weaver is an award-winning educator and community advocate, and his work is featured in the 2023 documentary The Right to Read.  He visited Savannah last year and will make stops at several of the events throughout the county.

The week kicks off Tuesday, October 15 at 9:15 a.m., with a family engagement event at Shuman Elementary School.  Parents are invited to Donuts and Decodables to learn about how they can support their child’s journey toward literacy from SCCPSS District Literacy Leaders, who will be joined by Kareem Weaver. 

Later that evening, Tuesday, October 15, at 6:30 p.m., community organizations and members, business partners, and staff are invited to the Lucas Theater for a FREE community conversation with Kareem Weaver and Dr. Denise Watts.  Community leaders and organizations interested in learning more about the Science of Reading and how they can support literacy in SCCPSS are encouraged to attend. This event is sponsored by the Chatham Educational Alliance and hosted by SCAD.  RSVP HERE.

On Wednesday, October 16, district staff will work with Devika Sood of FULCRUM to build capacity and leadership around literacy instruction, visiting schools and refining systems for supporting literacy success in schools. From 1:00 – 3:00 p.m., school administrators and literacy champions from around the district will join Kareem Weaver for lunch and discuss the literacy journey at SCCPSS. 

Parents and families are invited to the Davis-Edwards-Harris Multicampus for Literacy Day at Parent University on Saturday, October 19, at 9:30 a.m. Workshops designed to provide strategies and tools for supporting children’s literacy will be offered, including strategies for Birth to Five Years Old, Elementary Literacy, Adolescent Literacy, Adult Literacy and Literacy for English Learners.  Breakfast, lunch, transportation, and childcare will be provided. Call (912) 755-4422 to request transportation, or Click on the link to schedule your ride https://forms.gle/SGk1oti6V2xqgaXW7

The Savannah Book Festival has identified two authors, whose work reflects the ethnic diversity of the students in these schools, fostering a connection between the literature and the cultural experiences of the students.   Elizabeth M. Adams and her book Little Miss Minnesota and Her Six Brothers is scheduled to visit second graders at Gadsen Elementary on Tuesday October 15 and Brock and Haven elementary schools on Wednesday, October 16.  Nury Castillo Crawford is scheduled to visit second graders at Garden City Elementary on Friday, October 18, 2024, with her bilingual Spanish/English children’s book Sofia and Vivi: Big Sister.