A “Royal” Experience at Liberty Point Elementary

One magical day in October, students at Liberty Point Elementary School played the role of princesses and princes. The young royals dressed in their finest frocks and walked through hallways decorated in a Mardi Gras theme. Conversations centered around one big moment – a visit from Anika Noni Rose.

The Tony Award-winning and Grammy-nominated actress is best known for her role as Princess Tiana, from the Disney movie “The Princess and the Frog.” She was at Liberty Point to share her new book, “Tiana’s Perfect Plan.”

The day itself was perfect and took creative planning. It started with “pulling together the strengths of our team,” says Shaneene Fannin, Media and Education Technology Instructor (METI) at Liberty Point. Teachers and staff worked together to coordinate all the details, from incorporating the book in classroom reading sessions, down to the decorations.

The school was chosen for the celebrity visit by the nonprofit Page Turners Make Great Learners and coordinated with the help of Fulton Conty Schools Media and Education Technology Program Specialist Sadeqwa Simmons.

Fannin calls the day “a great honor” and says her role was “to make sure that the kids had a great experience.”

“I love reading and I love taking students on different adventures,” she adds.

Building the foundation for a lifelong love of reading begins with leading by example, says Ebony White, Literacy Instructional Coach at Liberty Point. White says teachers are “prompt creators” who encourage students to see beyond the words in front of them.

“A big standard we work on in literacy is stopping and asking and answering questions,” White says.

Students and teachers read the book the same day as the superstar visit and were able to ask questions inspired by the story, which includes a little French flair. White says students noticed the phrase “je ne sais quoi” – prompting them to ask Anika Noni Rose what languages Princess Tiana speaks.

“The words fly off the pages and they visualize what’s happening,” says White.

Fannin calls the day, “a grand royal event.” It is certainly a moment the nearly 700 students at Liberty Point will remember, each receiving their own copy of “Tiana’s Perfect Plan” with a special bookplate.

“We really provide the opportunity for our students to grow as writers… putting forth the opportunity to meet someone who has published a book was really exciting for them,” says White. “Years from now, they will have something else to hold on to.”

Shaneene Fannin, Anika Noni Rose, and Sadeqwa Simmons