Rome City Schools

Several barbershops and beauty salons in Rome got a special delivery recently when Rome City Schools dropped off a bin full of books for kids to read while their parents or guardians are getting haircuts. The Books in Barbershops and Beauty Salons program is another step in Rome City Schools Literacy Before Life for Life Initiative.

This program aims to get children reading during downtime, but also encourages community partners to help support kids and promote reading and literacy locally.

In a meeting in late August with some barbershop and beauty salon owners, Rome City Schools Superintendent Dr. Eric L. Holland talked about how a lesson he learned at a local barbershop where he grew up had a profound impact on him.

Dr. Holland saw the barbershop owner read something before he cut hair and that stuck with him. 

“My life changed at that barbershop. I realized that's why the barber was so successful, because he read every day. I learned from that. I read something every single day,” Dr. Holland said. 

Local barbershops and beauty salons can talk about reading and literacy but every one that is interested can also have books available at no charge to them for children to read in their shops as well.

Last week, Dr. Holland and Rome City Schools staff began delivering the book bins to local shops.

 “All of these bins are going to have books for various levels of readers. We want children to be able to pick out a book that looks interesting and sit and read it,” Rome City Schools Early Learning Specialist Sabrina Teems said at the meeting. “They can take it home with them and bring it back the next time they come.”

Rome City Schools goal for this school year is to have students read more than 8 million minutes. Students can track their reading and earn rewards from their schools, starting with red hats and progressing to pins for the hats and other prizes.

Early learning centers in Rome are already working with Rome City Schools on literacy and adding local businesses in the equation in the next natural step to helping improve reading and literacy for local children.

“This is a community effort and we want to bring everyone together in the community that we can,” Coretta Stewart, Director of Curriculum and Instruction for Rome City Schools, said. “It is never too early for students to start being critical thinkers. There is really an alarm at the gate right now with reading and literacy. It's not just a Rome City issue or a state issue. It’s a national issue, and we’re trying to bring the community together to help.”

Children can read books from the bins. The bins also have forms that parents or guardians can fill out to help their children keep track of the number of minutes they are reading.

“We are the people who have a platform to speak. This is serious business. We need everyone’s help,” Dr. Holland said. “You just might say something at your barbershop or beauty salon that may strike a kid's curiosity. The kids are listening, and if you talk about reading and literacy, it will make an impact.”

A lesson that Rome City Schools hopes the entire community embraces.