Heritage Academy Soars to the Top in Atlanta Hawks Reading Challenge

This article appears courtesy of Jennifer Saunders, director of Media Services for Atlanta Public Schools.

Heritage Academy and Atlanta Hawks 2025 March Reading Challenge Pep Rally. Photo credit: Heritage Academy, APS ©

During the month of March, Heritage Academy proved that leaders are readers by achieving a slam dunk in literacy! The school took home top honors in the Atlanta Hawks March Reading Challenge with a perfect 100% participation rate from both students and staff, with 244,503 minutes logged. Every reader, every day— that’s how Heritage brought the heat!

To celebrate their all-star performance, the school hosted an electrifying pep rally featuring the Atlanta Hawks dancers, fan-favorite Harry the Hawk, and spirited on-court reporter, Shamea Morton. The gym roared with excitement as students and staff were recognized for logging the most minutes read throughout the challenge.

But the celebration didn’t stop there. Thanks to Library Media Services, every student received a free book to take home, and the school library was awarded $1,000 worth of new books from the Hawks organization to continue fueling students’ love for reading. Dobbs Elementary earned a collection of books valued at $750 for reading their way to 2nd place. Miles Elementary scored 3rd and will receive a collection of books valued at $500.

Heritage Academy didn’t just rise to the challenge—they soared past it, showing that the impact is nothing short of championship-level when a school reads together.