Malia Riggs
Elmore Autauga News
PINE LEVEL ELEMENTARY -In partnership with the Alabama Department of Education, the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Sweet Grown Alabama, a press conference and birthday party were hosted for Short the Squirrel, Alabama’s literacy mascot at Pine Level Elementary School Thursday afternoon.
Short helps kids stay connected to vocabulary and makes reading fun and engaging. Sweet Grown Alabama hosted the birthday party for Short, where the theme of the birthday party was agriculture.
For the birthday celebration, Sweet Grown Alabama donated 75 copies of the book Modern Farms written by Autauga County author Jackie Nix, as their birthday present to Short.
During the press conference Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Agriculture Rick Pate spoke to the elected officials, Pine Level students and Short about the importance of learning how to read, as well as knowing where the food on our plates comes from.
He praised the partnerships between elected officials in Alabama, the Alabama Department of Agriculture and the Alabama Department of Education.
After the press conference, Pate, Dr. Eric Mackey of the Alabama Department of Education, Autauga County Schools Communications Coordinator Rebecca Thomas, Autauga County Board of Education District 2 representative Kim Crockett, Autauga County Commissioner and Chairman Jay Thompson, State Representative Van Smith district 42, Pine Level Mayor Zachary Bigley, Nix and local farmers all broke out into separate classrooms and read Modern Farms, the book written by Nix, to students of all grade levels of Pine Level Elementary.
While Nix was reading her book to students, she told her story of her extensive career and background in agriculture, and how she would use science to make sure all the animals and crops alike had the food that they needed to grow big and strong.
Nix reiterated that it’s not just farmers that help make the food that goes onto our plates, but there are multiple different jobs, factors and tractors involved.
