Savannah Schools Received Cursive Writing Awards

State School Superintendent Richard Woods honored five local schools for student achievement in penmanship.

Updated on Oct. 7, 2026 in Secondary Education

Screen-print poster illustration featuring an elegant fountain pen resting on a wooden desk, symbolizing traditional academic excellence in penmanship. — State Superintendent Richard Woods honored five Savannah-Chatham County schools on Tuesday for achieving high proficiency in student cursive handwriting instruction. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

Should cursive writing remain a required skill for students in your local schools?

State School Superintendent Richard Woods presented awards to five Savannah-Chatham County schools on October 7, 2026, to celebrate student proficiency in cursive handwriting. The ceremony held at Coastal Middle School recognized schools that met strict instructional benchmarks.

Why it matters

The recognition highlights the importance of cursive instruction in the local curriculum as state officials continue to emphasize foundational literacy skills. By meeting these specific proficiency thresholds, schools demonstrate successful implementation of handwriting standards.

Five Savannah-Chatham County schools achieved the required 90% student proficiency rate to earn awards. Coastal Middle, Marshpoint Elementary, and Pulaski K-8 secured the Ribbon of Distinction, while Esther F. Garrison and Georgetown K-8 earned the Proficiency Ribbon.

The players

Richard Woods

He is the State School Superintendent who oversees educational standards and recognition programs across Georgia.

The details

Superintendent Woods visited Coastal Middle School to present banners to representatives from each honored institution. The awards were tiered based on student ability to write their names and the preamble to the U.S. Constitution, with the highest tier requiring both tasks.

The awards ceremony took place on October 7, 2026, at 8:30 a.m.

Culture Shift

This focus on penmanship represents a broader push to restore traditional literacy skills in the classroom amidst the digital age. The state continues to align local school practices with the mandates of Georgia Senate Bill 148 to ensure standardized handwriting proficiency.

Parents can expect cursive proficiency to remain a prioritized component of the daily curriculum at these recognized institutions. This achievement signals that these schools are meeting state-level benchmarks for foundational writing skills.

The takeaway

The awards reflect a rigorous standard for penmanship that requires consistent student practice throughout the school year. Families looking to support these skills can encourage students to practice writing their names and foundational texts in cursive at home.