Jonesboro - These days, students can enjoy coming in early and spending time in the Reading Cafe at Pointe South Middle School in Clayton County.
They can thank teacher Kimberly Newman for the idea.
"Because of her love for reading," said Pointe South Principal Dean Lillard, "She decided to create the million word reading campaign and the café. The Reading café. We're in the process of purchasing a few chairs and beanbags and sofas."
Newman left a job in the corporate world to ignite her love of the written word in middle school students
"When you wanted to see high quality instruction, it would be Ms. Newman's room," said Joel Boyce, her former supervisor at Adamson Elementary and currently a Clayton County Schools administrator.
Newman gets a chance to teach a subject she loves.
"Language arts is my baby," said Newman. "I've loved language arts since I was growing up. I've always read a lot of books. I've written poetry, so English was my baby since I was little."
She puts her personality into what she teaches. She makes us feel comfortable," said Stacey a seventh grade student.
Newman described herself as strict and her students agreed.
"I wouldn't like an easy teacher like that. I would like a hard teacher on me to get better in life," said Quinterrius MccClenton, a seventh grader.
"She's a wonderful teacher because she teaches us things most teachers won't teach us," said Dwight Wyatt, another seventh grader. And, she wants us to pass
"She is the definition of a class act and we read the definition on your (11Alive) website," said Boyce.