North Gwinnett News

This year marks the 19th annual GCPS Readers Rally championship, the largest reading event in Gwinnett County. The event encourages students to engage with books and their peers through a quiz-bowl-style competition. Teams from various schools compete by answering questions about selected books, culminating in a division championship broadcasted by GCPS TV.

Eighty-seven school teams are participating, representing different levels and clusters. Students dedicate around eight months to reading ten books chosen for their quality in modern children's literature. High school participants read titles nominated for the Georgia Peach Award for Teen Readers, while elementary and middle school students select from a list curated by GCPS media specialists, teachers, and parents.

Monica Brown, a media specialist at Five Forks Middle School, highlights that many students have prior experience with Readers Rally from elementary school. "The students who typically join Readers Rally are those with a strong love for books," Brown states. She adds that the program creates an engaging environment where students can connect over shared interests.

Jenny Stark, a media specialist at North Gwinnett Middle School, describes participants as "proud readers" and "social bookworms." She notes the growth in confidence among quieter students throughout the year. Stark emphasizes that through Readers Rally, students develop essential skills like communication and critical thinking. "I am most proud of my students...for the way they demonstrate leadership and sportsmanship during competitions when emotions run high," she says.

The upcoming competition is scheduled for February 28, where winning teams from elementary, middle, and high schools will be announced.

Photos of North Gwinnett Middle Readers Rally team provided by Jenny Stark.