- January 30, 2026
Pine Trail Elementary kindergartener Krishav Patel hugs Deputy Mayor Lori Tolland on Friday, Jan. 30, during her visit in honor of the 18th annual Celebrate Literacy Week in Florida. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Ormond Beach City Commissioner Kristin Deaton reads to Stacy Sampson's kindergarten class on Friday, Jan. 30, in honor of the 18th annual Celebrate Literacy Week in Florida. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Stacy Sampson's kindergarten class was all smiles on Friday, Jan. 30, after a guest reading in honor of the 18th annual Celebrate Literacy Week in Florida. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Pathways Elementary Principal Kevin Berry and City Commissioner Kristin Deaton. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Ormond Beach City Commissioner Kristin Deaton reads to Pathways Elementary teacher Lauren Kinsey's kindergarten class on Friday, Jan. 30, in honor of the 18th annual Celebrate Literacy Week in Florida. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Pathways Elementary Principal Kevin Berry records as kindergarteners listen to the story. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Pathways Elementary Principal Kevin Berry records as Syon Huckaby listens to the story. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Pathways Elementary kindergartener Landon White. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Ormond Beach City Commissioner Kristin Deaton reads to Pathways Elementary kindergarteners on Friday, Jan. 30, in honor of the 18th annual Celebrate Literacy Week in Florida. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Pine Trail Elementary Principal Charles Bynum and Deputy Mayor Lori Tolland. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Pine Trail Elementary kindergarten teacher Courtney Holcomb, Deputy Mayor Lori Tolland and Principal Charles Bynum greet Holcomb's class on Friday, Jan. 30, in honor of the 18th annual Celebrate Literacy Week in Florida. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Deputy Mayor Lori Tolland reads to Pine Trail Elementary teacher Courtney Holcomb's kindergarten class on Friday, Jan. 30, in honor of the 18th annual Celebrate Literacy Week in Florida. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Deputy Mayor Lori Tolland and Courtney Holcomb's kindergarten class at Pine Trail Elementary. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Deputy Mayor Lori Tolland high-fives kindergarteners at Pine Trail Elementary. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Mayor Jason Leslie reads to kindergarteners at Ormond Beach Elementary on Thursday, Jan. 29, in honor of the 18th annual Celebrate Literacy Week in Florida. Courtesy photo
Ormond Beach Fire Department Capt. Hunter Ramirez, firefighter Zander Harper, firefighter Marc Pinkman and Ormond Beach Police Community Outreach Officer Marc Pedevillano read to students at Tomoka Elementary on Friday, Jan. 30, in honor of the 18th annual Celebrate Literacy Week in Florida. Photo courtesy of Pauline Dulang/City of Ormond Beach
Ormond Beach Fire Department Capt. Hunter Ramirez, firefighter Zander Harper, firefighter Marc Pinkman and Ormond Beach Police Community Outreach Officer Marc Pedevillano read to students at Tomoka Elementary on Friday, Jan. 30, in honor of the 18th annual Celebrate Literacy Week in Florida. Photo courtesy of Pauline Dulang/City of Ormond Beach
Ormond Beach Police Community Outreach Officer Marc Pedevillano shows his radio to students at Tomoka Elementary on Friday, Jan. 30, during the 18th annual Celebrate Literacy Week in Florida. Photo courtesy of Pauline Dulang/City of Ormond Beach
Ormond Beach Fire Department Capt. Hunter Ramirez (right) speaks to students at Tomoka Elementary on Friday, Jan. 30, during the 18th annual Celebrate Literacy Week in Florida. Photo courtesy of Pauline Dulang/City of Ormond Beach
Ormond Beach Police Community Outreach Officer Marc Pedevillano shows a pair of handcuffs to students at Tomoka Elementary on Friday, Jan. 30, during the 18th annual Celebrate Literacy Week in Florida. Photo courtesy of Pauline Dulang/City of Ormond Beach
Ormond Beach Police Community Outreach Officer Marc Pedevillano poses with Tomoka Elementary kindergarten students on Friday, Jan. 30. Photo courtesy of Pauline Dulang/City of Ormond Beach
Ormond Beach Fire Department Capt. Hunter Ramirez, firefighter Zander Harper, firefighter Marc Pinkman and Ormond Beach Police Community Outreach Officer Marc Pedevillano read to students at Tomoka Elementary on Friday, Jan. 30, in honor of the 18th annual Celebrate Literacy Week in Florida. Photo courtesy of Pauline Dulang/City of Ormond Beach
In honor of Celebrate Literacy Week, Ormond Beach elected officials and first responders visited kindergarten classes on Thursday and Friday, Jan. 29-30.
The community leaders each read books to the students. Ormond Beach Mayor Jason Leslie visited Ormond Beach Elementary, Zone 1 City Commissioner and Deputy Mayor Lori Tolland visited Pine Trail Elementary and Zone 3 City Commissioner Kristin Deaton visited Pathways Elementary. Students at Tomoka were visited by Ormond Beach firefighters and Ormond Beach Police's community outreach officer.
On the west side of the county, in DeLeon Springs, Sheriff Mike Chitwood read to students at McInnis Elementary.
"Literacy is the foundation of every child’s future, and Celebrate Literacy Week reminds us just how powerful reading can be," Volusia County Superintendent Dr. Carmen Balgobin said in a statement to the Observer. "We are incredibly grateful to our community leaders who took the time to visit our schools and read to our students, showing them that reading matters not just in the classroom, but in every part of life. Their presence sends a powerful message: when a community comes together to support literacy, our students thrive.”
Celebrate Literacy Week, Florida! was held from Jan. 26-30 statewide.
