A week of activities centered on reading is the focus of student development for elementary grades.

The elementary students at Friendship Christian School in Suwanee are developing a passion for reading through activities centered on books. The week-long event called “Book Week” began with a “Luau” celebration and picnic. Students played field day type games and had a surprise visit from Clifford, the Big Red Dog. Chick-fil-a restaurant at the Avenue Forsyth and in Dawsonville along with Publix Grocery at Mathis Airport Road, Jim-n-Nicks and Slopes Barbeque contributed to the event with donations of food, paper goods and decorations.

The week's events included:

Tuesday: “Storybook Character” Day. Students dressed up as their favorite storybook character and shared the book with their classmates. The day ended with a character parade through the school.

Wednesday: “Celebrity Reader” Day. “Celebrity” guests will visited the school throughout the day to read to the students and share about themselves. A few “celebrities” included Commissioner Brian Tam, Elizabeth Buursema from Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Lynn Jackson from Northside Hospital Forsyth, Julie Brennan from My Forsyth magazine and other local business members.

Thursday: “Read and Rotate” Day. Students rotated through the classrooms visiting other “lands”. Each class had a session of reading and activities.

Friday: Pajama “Relax and Read” Day. Students wore their favorite pajamas and slippers so they could “relax and read” with their classmates.

This annual event grows each year with greater community support and donations,  building a generation of excellent readers.