Read Across America was launched in 1998 by the National Education Association and is the nation’s largest celebration of reading. Read Across America marks National Reading Month in March.
“This event is something our students and our teachers look forward to each year, and we are thrilled to once again be celebrating Read Across America,” Superintendent Rizzo Saunders said. “Each school has created its own events and programs that will carry this celebration through the rest of the month. Great job by all who organized this event to help our youngest learners foster their love for reading and learning.”
Each school created its own events and programs.
At Pierce School, students are studying children’s book author and illustrator Jan Brett, using her books to analyze the elements of stories. Several guest readers have appeared via Zoom, including Catilyn Fowle, a Pierce alumnus who attends Great Brook School. Students also played Bingo on themed Bingo cards
On PJ Day, students wore their pajamas and read as they might at home, under a pillow with a flashlight.
The Pierce community has set an ambitious school-wide goal of reading for more than 12,480 minutes – almost nine days – by the end of the month. If students meet the goal, Principal Beth Gibney will kiss an animal of the students’ choice.
At Hancock School, kindergarten students spent the week “Reading Across the Multipurpose Room.” Every day students read to staff and visitors, with the goal of having finished books stretch across the Multipurpose Room floor from end to end. And they did, reading more than 66 books in all.
Great Brook School students read during the Language Arts block, either to themselves or classmates.
Francestown Elementary School celebrated with PJs, crazy hair and socks galore, and ended the week wearing green from head to toe.
The school also welcomed special guests. Great Brook School Principal Katherine Foecking came to Francestown to read. Shannon Spear, known as “Miss Shannon,” the school’s Fresh Picks Cafe partner, arrived wearing pizza earrings and read “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.”
At Antrim Elementary School, students set personal goals for reading a number of nights during the week, or for a number of minutes each night. The school community marked progress with a display showing a mountain climber yodeling their way to the top of a cliff. The school goal was to have the climber get 80 percent of the way to the top of the mountain; he made it 84.25 percent.
Classrooms also received a visit from Litter-A-C the Clown, a close personal friend of Principal Stephanie Syre-Hager.
“It was a pleasure to hear what each child is reading at home, but most of all, the genuine excitement each child brought with them to school each morning made Read Across America worthwhile,” said Library Media Specialist Christopher Stultz.
The District will continue to celebrate Read Across America through the end of March.
