During their work session Tuesday, the Demorest City Council took a moment to recognize the Demorest Elementary School (DES) fourth graders who won a state championship during a reading competition. That recognition came in the form of a proclamation.
Just prior to the beginning of the work session, Demorest Mayor Jerry Harkness invited the students and their fourth-grade teacher, April LaHayne, to join the City Council on stage. Once on stage, Harkness selected fourth-grade student Rhett Parham to sit in the Mayor’s seat to “drop the gavel” to call the work session to order.
SEE RELATED: Demorest 4th graders take top honors in global reading competition
Once the meeting was called to order, Harkness announced that the students would be honored with a proclamation. However, he asked LaHayne to explain the competition her fourth-grade class entered.
She explained that she had heard about a national reading competition, and her class was an excellent group of readers. LaHayne challenged her students, and they entered the four-week competition as LaHayne’s Reading Magic.
The 22 students averaged over 77,000 minutes of reading each week during the four-week competition.
“I knew they had the ‘oomph’ to get it done and they did it, putting us number one in the state of Georgia and number two in the nation,” she said.
Harkness requested that LaHayne read the proclamation to the audience of the students’ family members.
The last paragraph of the proclamation states: “I, Jerry Harkness, Mayor of the City of Demorest, do hereby recognize the effort of each student on LaHaynes Reading Magic team and congratulate each one on their victory and further extend the City’s appreciation to Ms. April LaHayne for the vital service she provides to Demorest Elementary School in her exemplary dedication to her students in her continued goal of encouraging students to read,” Presented this 9th day of April 2024, signed Jerry Harkness, Mayor.
After the presentation, LaHayne said, ”Tonight was such an unexpected blessing! It was such a joy to watch my students be recognized by the City of Demorest City Council.”
She expressed her appreciation to the council members.
”They really outdid themselves. I am so tremendously grateful for the precious memory they helped us make tonight.”
An emotional LaHayne stated, ”I tear up when I think about the huge smiles on every one of their faces as they were honored and celebrated tonight!”
LaHayne says she will be hanging the proclamation in her classroom for her students to see.
