From kindergarten students getting to enjoy some green eggs with their ham to a ‘who’s who’ of guest readers from the community and schools, the observance of Read Across America Day on Friday had it all.
The March 3 festivities played out on many school campuses in the Escalon Unified School District, with the focus on reading for pleasure. The readathon celebrated the birthday of children’s author Dr. Seuss, who penned a number of favorite rhyming books including ‘The Cat in the Hat and ‘Green Eggs and Ham.’
At Van Allen Elementary, fourth grader Rose Percey got the chance to do some guest reading and brought her favorite book from home, ‘Do Not Open This Book!’ to share with her young audiences.
Her first reading was for the kindergarten students in Kassidy Tims’ class, just before they sat down to their green (food coloring) eggs and ham for a snack.
“Books are actually almost like art,” the young Percey shared after reading the book and heading off to another classroom. “I am a very big artist.”
The kindergarten students were her first audience and Percey said she thoroughly enjoyed sharing the book with them.
“Every time I read this book, I crack up,” she said of the favorite story. “I had never read to a class before but I love to act, too and when you read, you make your voice different, so that’s acting.”
At Farmington Elementary School, art teacher Scott Hatch – who comes to the school each Friday and is financed through the Parent Teacher Club – was busy helping classes create Cat in the Hat masks for the special occasion.
Third graders in Nicole Reynosa’s class at Farmington, meanwhile, were busy with their noses in their books, kicking back in their pajamas. The day was a PJ optional event, and many took advantage of the opportunity.
Escalon city officials, emergency services personnel, service club members, school administrators … all helped share the joy of reading during the day, which literally saw thousands of pages turned. A program at the Escalon Library earlier in the week also focused on Dr. Seuss and his stories.
“It’s such a wonderful thing for them to see other people enjoy reading as well,” teacher Reynosa said of her students having guest readers come in to the classroom throughout the day. “They don’t need much encouragement, though, they love to read.”
