Highlands Elementary School was recently presented a $5,000 check from State Farm Insurance as part of the Read It Forward Jax campaign. School Board Chairman W.C. Gentry and School Board member Paula D. Wright attended the check presentation ceremony to show appreciation for the generous donation.
The funds will be used to purchase five complete classroom library sets for the third- and fifth-grade students at Highlands Elementary. Classroom libraries are sets of books for each grade level that have been pre-selected as age and content appropriate material for students to read. Students will be able to use these books in the classroom to practice their reading and comprehension skills.
“It is essential that students are capable of reading at or beyond grade level by the time they leave the third-grade,” said Board member Paula D. Wright. “When students are able to have access to content appropriate and relevant books in their classrooms, this increases their level of engagement, comprehension, and retention of the information read.”
“We are so thankful to have the support of such a prestigious organization as State Farm Insurance,” said Board Chairman W.C. Gentry. “It is companies like this that makes a difference in the educational system by offering to provide essential resources to our students that will enable them to receive the highest quality education.”
State Farm executives spoke about the importance of promoting reading throughout the community. They contribute their success, both personal and as an organization, to building a strong reading foundation at an early age, and they want to make sure that the students at Highlands Elementary have the same opportunity to excel. They encouraged all of the students to share their reading activities with parents, siblings and everyone around them.
To view pictures of the Highlands check presentation, visit the
DCPS' flickr photostream.
Duval County Public Schools operates 177 schools and serves approximately 125,000 students. The school district is committed to providing high quality educational opportunities that will inspire all students to acquire and use the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in a global economy and culturally diverse world.
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