Godley ISD pre-kindergarten students received a special Christmas surprise on December 16, 2025,  as they gathered for holiday stories and were gifted new books to take home.

Superintendent Dr. Rich Dear visited classrooms at Pleasant View Elementary School and R.B. Godley Elementary School, where he read A Pirate’s Night Before Christmas and presented each child with a book of their own.

“Giving our youngest learners a book they can call their own helps spark a love of reading that can last a lifetime,” Dear said. “Moments like these remind us how important it is to start building strong literacy foundations early, both at school and at home.”

The visit was part of StoryBook Christmas, a program sponsored by the Community Education Advisory Council, which serves Johnson County schools. The initiative promotes early literacy and a love of reading by providing young learners with personalized books to help launch their reading journeys at home.