At Pleasant City Elementary in West Palm Beach, Florida, the school literacy team came up with the idea of having the students decide on the theme of the new reading room. And as a result of the vote, the majority chose “Treasure Island”! To begin with, just the name sounds adventurous! The classic story written by Robert Louis Stevenson has been a favorite for decades, to the point of inspiring several movies! And Stevenson’s colleague, Charles Dickens’ description of ‘true treasure’ said it all, “a book is like a treasure chest waiting to be opened!” Considering the hundreds of books in the new reading room…hundreds of new treasures…the place really is a “treasure island”…a ‘get-away’ where students can select their own ‘treasure adventure(s)!’

In the cafeteria/auditorium on the elevated stage, a backdrop of waves in shades of blue and silver with bubbles set the scene for the celebration! To open the program, Principal Adrienne Griffin warmly welcomed everyone to the “most pleasant place on earth”, Pleasant City Elementary, and made special introductions.

After the Pledge of Allegiance was proudly led by 3rd graders: Melinda, Wein, Amena and Malani, the school pledge and Tigers’ Creed were enthusiastically recited by more than 20 pre-K students! And the little ones continued by singing a musical selection entitled “I am a Promise.”

Ms. Faye Johnson was a featured speaker representing the West Palm Beach mayor’s office. She shared greetings from Mayor Keith James who would have come, but was out of town at a mayors conference.

The rather unique history of Pleasant City was presented by 4th grader Javien Kennerly, including the Odum family’s involvement in establishing the municipality. (For more go here – the story on the program “About the Odum Family”)

Next was the Miley Cyrus song, “The Climb”, which is about determination in overcoming obstacles. It was harmonized by several 4th graders: Khloe, Jazmine, Arianna, Janasia, Ana, and Assistant Principal Samantha Patterson.

Jade McCoy of the 5th grade then introduced sponsor Casey Klein.

Speaking on behalf of both sponsoring couples, Casey talked about the importance of reading for success. He continued with why he and his wife Loren along with Russell and Kalley Hoffman chose to sponsor the reading room in honor of the Odum family, one of the founding families of Pleasant City. Several Odum grandchildren were present including Mr. & Mrs. Michael Odum who continue the family legacy of improving the community. (For more go to: “A”)

Jane Baskwill’s poem “Open a book” was then shared by 5th grader Shariya Taylor. “Open a book and you can be…anything that you want to be!”

The on-stage screen came alive with Dr. Carson’s video message, where he explained how he went from struggling academically to exceling in all his classes due to his mother’s insistence on increasing his reading time periods. And he shared that once he discovered he enjoyed reading, he realized his dreams could come true by expanding his knowledge! That’s how he became a neurosurgeon! And he challenged the students to think and dream big!

Up next was Candy Carson who talked about how amazing our brains are, starting with “there are some advantages to being married to a brain surgeon! Did you know your brain can process 2 million bits of information in one second!! If you have a normal brain, you can do and learn anything! Some subjects may seem difficult, but in reality they are not”. She went on to explain how each subject is based on building blocks, and if you have them all, it makes sense, whether it’s chemistry, algebra, physics! “Take reading for example. Say you knew all the letters except ‘a, e, s, and t’. What could you read? But plug in those letters and reading becomes a snap!”

The closing remarks from Assistant Principal Samantha Patterson included thanks to the sponsors, all those who worked together developing the reading haven, as well as those who supported it, including all those who came out in support of the children.

Read about the room itself and view photos here: https://carsonscholars.org/blog/the-treasure-island-pleasant-city-elementary-school-room-reveal/

Written By Mrs. Candy Carson