WS/FCS celebrated Read Across America this week, and Forest Park Elementary School capped off the week with a book character parade through the halls. Students and teachers carried their favorite books, and many wore costumes resembling their favorite characters. The parade is an annual tradition that helps bring reading to life for students, and Principal Debra Gladstone says it's always followed by a welcome uptick in checkouts from the school library.

"We're always focused on trying to get a book into the hands of our students," Dr. Gladstone said. "The time they spend reading something they self-select leads to big academic gains."

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