CSRA RESA March Newsletter

Read Across America Day, also recognized as Dr. Seuss Day, is an annual event that promotes the joy of reading, especially among children. Celebrated in honor of the birthday of Theodor Seuss Geisel, famously known as Dr. Seuss, the day is filled with reading events, character dress-ups, and a shared appreciation for the iconic stories that have charmed generations.

Read Across America Day was established by the National Education Association in 1997 with the goal of promoting reading among children. Coinciding with Dr. Seuss's birthday, the day naturally evolved to also celebrate the legacy of this beloved children's author. His whimsical tales and rhymes have since become central to the festivities, although the day encourages reading of all kinds.

Read Across America Day / Dr Seuss Day 2026 | March 2, 2026 | Awareness Days

37 Read Across America Activities To Celebrate Literacy

Every March, we pause to honor the women who have shaped our world. From the suffragettes who fought for the vote to the scientists who mapped the stars, women's contributions are woven into the fabric of history. But Women's History Month isn't just about looking back - it's about recognizing the leaders who are building our future right now.

Why We Celebrate in March

It began in Santa Rosa, California, in 1978. The Education Task Force of the Sonoma County Commission on the Status of Women organized a "Women's History Week" to correspond with International Women's Day on March 8. The idea caught on, and communities across the country began hosting their own celebrations.

In 1980, a group of women's organizations and historians lobbied for national recognition. Their efforts succeeded when President Jimmy Carter issued the first Presidential Proclamation declaring the week of March 8, 1980, as National Women's History Week.

Momentum continued to build. By 1987, Congress passed Public Law 100-9, which officially designated the entire month of March as "Women's History Month." Since 1995, every U.S. president has issued an annual proclamation reaffirming this celebration of women's vital roles in American history.

Women’s History Month 2026: Theme, History & How to Celebrate | Remitly

National Pi Day on March 14th recognizes the mathematical constant π. Also known as pi, the first three and most recognized digits are 3.14. The day is celebrated by pi enthusiasts and pie lovers alike!

Pi is the ratio between the circumference of a circle and its diameter. While the idea of pi has been known for nearly 4000 years, accurately calculating it has been something of slightly more recent mathematical development. By 2000 BC, the Egyptians and Babylonians accurately used the constant to build. Mathematicians such as Archimedes, Fibonacci, François Viète, Adriaan van Roomen, and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz all calculated pi by various methods. However, in 1706, Welsh mathematician William Jones introduced the Greek letter π to represent the ratio of a circle's circumference, pi.

March 14th Celebrated Birthdays

Lucy Beaman Hobbs Taylor - 1833 - an American school teacher who became the first woman to earn her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree.

John Luther Casey Jones - 1864 - An American railroad engineer whose death as celebrated in the ballad "Casey Jones" made him a folk hero.

Albert Einstein - 1879 - German-born physicist who developed the general theory of relativity and had a profound impact on 20th-century physics and scientific theory.

Sylvia Beach - 1887 - American bookseller and publisher who is best-known for opening Shakespeare and Company in Paris in 1919 and attracted some of the 20th century's most influential and respected writers including Ernest Hemingway, James Joyce, Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, and Janet Flanner.

Marguerite de Angeli - 1889 - American children's author and illustrator who won the Newbery Medal for The Door in the Wall.

Hank Ketcham - 1920 - American cartoonist who published the first syndicated Denis the Menace comic strip.

Frank Borman - 1928 - a U.S. astronaut who in December 1968 led the first team of American astronauts to circle the moon in Apollo 8.

Eugene Cernan - 1931 - a U.S. astronaut who as commander of Apollo 17 in December 1972, was the last person to walk on the moon.

Quincy Jones - 1933 - One of music's most esteemed legends with 28 Grammy Awards, won his first Grammy in 1963 for Best Instrumental Arrangement for his jazz song "I Can't Stop Loving You."

Michael Caine - 1933 - An internationally successful British actor has appeared in more than 100 films.

Billy Crystal - 1948 - Actor and comedian for more than 40 years in movies such as The Princess Bride, Monsters Inc., and Analyze This.

Simone Biles - 1997 - In her first Olympics at Rio in 2016, Biles brought home four gold medals and one bronze and has tallied up a combined total of 30 medals making her the most awarded gymnast in the United States and the third in the world.

NATIONAL PI DAY - March 14 - National Day Calendar

Richmond County Growing Readers 25-27 Cohort teachers recently participated in Professional Learning 2 at RESA. Teachers learned about High Impact Routines and Strategy Group structures to use in small groups during independent practice of literacy skills time in their schedule. Kindergarten through fifth grade teachers developed sample lessons for each of the structures and practiced with peers. Teachers also worked with their own classroom instructional data to determine learning goals and instructional grouping for their students’ needs. The coaching specialists will continue to support teachers’ implementation of practices in their classrooms this Spring.

Richmond County Schools have welcomed the Let’s Read, Georgia (LRG) partnership with incredible openness and enthusiasm this year! Mrs. Crystal Parten serves the county in this role. At Belair Elementary School, Sue Reynolds Elementary School, and Monte Sano Elementary School, teachers and leaders have embraced coaching as a true collaboration focused on student success.

This year, our partnership has centered on meaningful, hands-on support. Together, we have reviewed student literacy data, analyzed assessment results, and made thoughtful, collaborative decisions about next instructional steps. Teachers have leaned into data conversations using what they learn to refine small groups and strengthen core instruction.

Classrooms have been filled with energy during interactive read-alouds! Students have not only enjoyed rich, engaging stories, but have also strengthened essential literacy skills along the way. During these modeled lessons, students practiced phonics connections, built vocabulary, made predictions, sequenced events, and engaged in thoughtful discussions. The excitement on students’ faces as they connect with a story (especially Crystal’s favorite Martina the Beautiful Cockroach by Carmen Agra Deedy) while simultaneously developing critical ELA skills has been a true highlight of the year!

In addition to data collaboration and read-aloud modeling, in-classroom support has been a cornerstone of the LRG work. Side-by-side with teachers, Crystal has co-planned lessons, modeled Fundations routines, supported implementation of Savvas resources, and guided the use of decodable texts during small-group instruction. Coaching cycles have included real-time feedback, reflective conversations, and adjustments aligned to classroom needs. Support has also included strengthening instruction aligned to the skills assessed on the Georgia Milestones (GMAS) so that teachers and students are prepared and confident.

The spirit of collaboration across Richmond County has brought this important literacy work to life!

ELA consultants Patra Griffitt and Christy Van Meter hosted K-12 teachers from across the region in professional learning sessions focused on implementing the ELA standard/expectations.

On February 26, Growing Readers partnered with Let’s Read GA to host a Regional Literacy Coaching Meeting at CSRA RESA. The day brought together literacy coaches and regional leaders for a collaborative session focused on strengthening literacy instruction and deepening support for teachers across our region.

We were honored to welcome guest speakers and sponsors who helped make the day impactful and inspiring. Jodie Waters (CSRA RESA), Keegan Wilson (Know Dyslexia), and Sami Obeidant and his team (Great Minds) shared valuable insights, practical expertise, and resources to support high-quality literacy practices and implementation.

Throughout the day, coaches worked alongside their regional coaches to reflect, plan, and problem-solve around real-time instructional needs. The energy in the room reflected a shared commitment to building capacity and improving literacy outcomes for students.

We’re excited to share photos from the meeting that capture our coaches in action—collaborating, learning, and leading the work forward together.

Georgia's Student Bill of Rights outlines children's fundamental rights to a well-rounded, excellent education in our state's public schools. The document serves as an outline of State School Superintendent Richard Woods' strategic vision for education and will guide the development of a new GaDOE strategic plan and the agency's 2026 legislative priorities.

March

March 24: Aspiring Leaders 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm (virtual)

March 30: Principal and Assistant Principal Leadership Academies (virtual)

March 31: HR & Finance Job Alike

March 31: K-5 Regional ELA Session 5A Implementing New ELA Standards

April

April 1: Building Trust, Boosting Engagement with Guest Speaker Dr. Oatanisha Dawson

April 2: 6-12 Regional ELA Session 5B Implementing New ELA Standards

April 30: Media Specialist Training - Literacy & Writing with AI

To register for any of these sessions: registration.csraresa.org/PL_Session_List_Public_View.asp