Assemblyman Michael Tannousis (R,C-Staten Island/Brooklyn) visited P.S. 011 Purvis J. Behan in Brooklyn today as part of Read Across America Day to encourage student literacy and education. This year’s theme is “Create A Nation Of Diverse Readers.” Tannousis read ‘Our Flag Was Still There’ by Mary Pickersgill to the 5th-grade class to engage the students in the importance of our country and our nation's flag.

“I want to thank the students and teachers for allowing me to visit today,” said Tannousis. “Watching the students who were engaged and excited to read and learn was a wonderful experience. The value of reading and gaining education is often taken for granted so we must encourage learning so our future generations can succeed. I was born in New York but I was raised in Cyprus until I was six-years-old. When I moved back to New York, I didn’t speak English but I utilized the public library to help me become fluent in the English language. I encourage parents and guardians to reach out to their children daily and visit their local library. Read Across America Day gets so many involved and brings the excitement of learning to life. Thank you again for having me and I wish the best of luck to each student.”

Visit the Brooklyn Library Web site for hours of operation or visit the Storyline Online Web site for online learning.