Area elementary schools participated in “Read Across America” in honor of Dr. Seuss’ birthday Wednesday.
As a way to celebrate his love of children’s books, J.E. Harper Elementary, E.S. Richardson Elementary and J.L. Jones Elementary students participated in fun ways to encourage reading.
“I think it’s great,” MHS baseball player Justin McCready, who read to students, said. “The kids are happy because they don’t like to work all the time and they like the books we read. I think they look up to us and it’s great for us and them.”
Harper celebrated with the theme “Hop on Pop,” and the kids got to walk on bubble wrap at the school’s entrance before going to class Wednesday morning. Principal Janene Ashley says the baseball team was a great way to show the kids reading can be fun.
“We are so excited to be celebrating Dr. Seuss’ birthday with our students today,” she said.
“The students dressed in their favorite Dr. Seuss character costume, ‘hopped on pop,’ ate green eggs and ham, and listened to the MHS baseball team read Dr. Seuss books. We had a wonderful ‘Read Across America’ day.”
At Richardson Elementary, students in Kyndal Anders’ fifth grade class talked about Dr. Seuss, the books he wrote and why he wrote them. They also read “Oh, the Places You’ll Go,” a story about getting kids to believe in themselves, even though life will have its “bumps and humps” in the road.
At J.L. Jones Elementary, Principal Dusty Rowland says this is one of their favorite days of the school year.
“One of our favorite days during the school year is Dr. Seuss’s birthday,” Rowland said. “Each year our students and teachers dress up as Dr. Seuss characters and various members of the community come and read to our students. It is an enjoyable day for all.”
Read Across America is a national initiative from the National Education Association aimed at bringing awareness to Dr. Seuss’ birthday. At schools all across the United States, teachers, principals and students participate by dressing up as their favorite Dr. Seuss character, or bringing in athletes, elected officials and others to encourage the students to read and “recognize the role reading plays in their communities,” according to the NEA.
Theodor Seuss Geisel was born in 1904 in Springfield, Massachusetts. At the time of his death in 1991, Dr. Seuss had written and illustrated 44 children’s books, including such all-time favorites as “The Cat in the Hat,” “Green Eggs and Ham,” “Oh, the Places You’ll Go,” “Fox in Socks,” and “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” His books had been translated into more than 15 languages. He was honored with two Academy Awards, two Emmy Awards, a Peabody Award and the Pulitzer Prize.