Important Literacy Info....Please read

South Cobb High School

Cobb County School District

"One Team, One Goal: Student Success"

Dear Parent or Guardian:

South Cobb High School has embarked on our “School Wide Literacy Initiative”.  We will begin our first novel during “Literacy Block” Monday.  The novel is entitled Dear Martin by Nic Stone. This novel is a valuable read, however, due to some mild adult language; I want to inform you beforehand.

             Below is a brief synopsis of the novel:

Justyce McAllister is top of his class, captain of the debate team, and set for the Ivy League next year—but none of that matters to the police officer who just put him in handcuffs.  He is eventually released without charges (or an apology), but the incident has Justyce spooked. Despite leaving his rough neighborhood, he can’t seem to escape the scorn of his former peers or the attitude of his prep-school classmates.  Justyce starts a journal to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., but do Dr. King’s teachings hold up in the modern world? Justyce isn’t so sure.

Reasons why this novel has been selected as part of our literacy initiative are as follows:

·         It is relevant to our students and raises social and human perspectives in a meaningful and impactful manner.

·          It is an engaging novel. Students will be motivated to read outside of typical classroom required texts.

·         Students will gain a new perspective on social injustice coupled with the analysis of Dr. King’s approach to injustice.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your child’s 3^rd period teacher.

*Each student will not receive a personal copy of the novel, but instead will read the novel in class with their 3^rd period teacher.

If you do not want your son/daughter to read this novel, please communicate that below. Students who do not read Dear Martin by Nic Stone will be given a different assignment to complete during “Literacy Block”.  Please return this to your child’s 3^rd period teacher by Friday, August 30^th.

________ My child DOES NOT HAVE my permission to read the novel Dear Martin by Nic Stone.

_______________________________________________________                        ____________

                        Parent/Guardian Signature                                                                                Date

Student name: ____________________________________________                      _____________

                                                     (please print legibly)                                                   3^rd  Period Teacher

1920 Clay Road, SW                                        Phone:770-819-2611           Fax: 770-819-2613                                           Austell, GA 30106