sthtgdWe're celebrating 15 years of Georgia Pre-K Week—a time to highlight the importance of early learning, honor our amazing Pre-K teachers, and showcase the impact that quality early education has on our community.
Irwin County Pre-K children enjoyed a week filled with shared reading and learning. The featured book for this year’s Pre-K Week was Every Amazing Story, written by Coy Bowles and Malcolm Mitchell. This inspiring story takes young readers on a creative journey, reminding every child that they have a voice and a story worth telling.
Each year, Georgia Pre-K Week invites leaders from across the state to roll up their sleeves and step inside Georgia’s Pre-K classrooms to experience the magic of early learning.
This week, we were thrilled to have several community leaders visit our Pre-K classrooms to read to the children and engage with our youngest learners, showing their support for literacy, curiosity, and the joy of reading.
The Mayor of Ocilla, Melvin D. Harper II, brought the book The Magician’s Hat to life with many laughs and questions from our Pre-K children.
Pre-K Specialist Billie Joe Sutton had a fun time reading and acting out The Five Little Pumpkins. She invited the children to help her retell the story and even brought a sweet treat for them to enjoy.
Irwin County Elementary Principal Rontee Barnes read the story Why Not You?, written by a husband-and-wife team who encourage readers to see themselves achieving their dreams—no matter how big or outrageous they may seem.
Mrs. Hamby—or should we say Little Red Riding Hood—stepped out of the woods to share her version of the story about her and the Big Bad Wolf!
Kerry Billingsley, Irwin County Schools Superintendent, made a special video appearance to read Strictly No Elephants. The story conveys a powerful message about inclusion, kindness, empathy, and standing up for what is right to create a welcoming environment for all.
Rachel Pace, K-12 Curriculum Director and Pre-K Program Director, read The Bad Seed, a story about a little sunflower seed with a bad attitude. The book encourages readers to be curious and kind toward others.
Angie O’Steen, Georgia House of Representatives member, read the featured book for Georgia Pre-K Week, Every Amazing Story, helping children realize that they, too, can turn their ideas into amazing stories. She also shared G is for Georgia, which teaches the alphabet using landmarks from across our home state.
Ocilla’s very own Sheriff Cody Youghn visited and read the funny story The Wonky Donkey, about a lovable donkey with a series of silly nicknames. He also gave the children pencils and erasers afterward.
Georgia Pre-K Week continues to remind us that early learning sets the foundation for future success. We are deeply thankful to all our community leaders, educators, and families who help make this celebration meaningful each year. Their involvement and support show our children that learning is a lifelong adventure—one amazing story at a time.