Newton Citizen

Covington Police Department's Sgt. Allen Martin, right, and Lt. Mike Tinsley read to Kimberly Porterfield's third-grade class on Thursday morning as part of Leadership Newton County's Education Day. Pictured are students, from back, Mikelia Jones, De'Andreia Brantley and Justin Alexander-Mack listening to them read "Town Mouse Country Mouse." Staff Photo: Michelle Floyd

COVINGTON -- Nearly 40 local business leaders made their way around the Newton County School System on Thursday to get a closer look at one of the county's largest employers.

The Newton County Chamber of Commerce's 2013 Leadership Newton County class visited several stops in the school system on Thursday as part of Education Day.

"The purpose is to get leaders engaged in the education system in Newton County," said Teri Goodman, of Bank of North Georgia and a committee member for the group. "We are casting a vision for the ripple effect, making a huge impact in the community we live and work in."

The group included employees from the Covington Police Department, the Newton County Sheriff's Office, the Newton County Fire Department, the City of Covington Fire Department, several banks and a few other local businesses.

They started off the day at the Newton County Board of Education, hearing an overview of the school system from Superintendent Gary Mathews, then they visited the Newton County Theme School at Ficquett, read to students at Porterdale Elementary School, participated in a ribbon cutting at the Newton College & Career Academy, visited Newton High School, had lunch and toured the campus and baseball field at Georgia Perimeter College and ended the day with a visit to Georgia Piedmont Technical College.

The 2013 class also has participated in Local Government and Health and Human Services days and also will partake in State Government Day and Economic Development Day later this year.