PA First Lady Susan Corbett Urges Students to Read During Summer Break

HARRISBURG, Pa., May 4, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Pennsylvania First Lady Susan Corbett today visited Pittsburgh Faison K-5 school to encourage students across the state to keep their reading skills sharp during the summer break.

Serving as a "Reading Ambassador" on behalf of Scholastic, Mrs. Corbett read the book "Amazing Grace" to kindergartners. She also led third and fifth graders in a discussion about the book, which has "courage" as its theme.

In honor of her visit, Scholastic donated 500 books for the students to take home and read over the summer.

"As a parent and former teacher, I know how important it is to encourage children to read during the summer break," said Mrs. Corbett. "Spending just a little time each day can make a big difference when students return to school in the fall."

The Scholastic Summer Challenge is a national effort to encourage kids to read every day over the summer break. Its goal is to prevent what's known as the "summer slide," or the learning loss that can occur when school is not in session.

"We are honored to have Mrs. Corbett visit our school. Her commitment and passion for improving educational outcomes for all students is shared by our fantastic team," said LouAnn Zwieryznski, principal of Pittsburgh Faison K-5. "We would like to thank Scholastic for their generous gift of 500 books so that we can continue to transition our students from learning to read to reading to learn."

The books donated today cover a wide variety of topics and reading levels, ensuring all the students have a book that they can enjoy.

Media contacts:
Kirsten Page, Governor's Press Office; 717-783-1116
Ashley Chunko, First Lady's Office; 717-787-1965

SOURCE Pennsylvania Office of the First Lady