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Schools planning events to celebrate Dr. Seuss' birthday
Special events are planned March 3 at numerous Grand Island Public Schools to celebrate Dr. Seuss' birthday on Read Across America Day.
The National Education Association (NEA) sponsors Read Across America Day, where children celebrate reading on Dr. Seuss' birthday, which is on March 2. NEA launched Read Across America Day in 1997 to focus the country's attention on how important it is to motivate children to read in addition to helping them master basic skills.
Events scheduled include a door decorating contest, reading to residents at Tiffany Square Care Center and Lebensraum, readers' theater presentations of Dr. Seuss books, a "Flipping Over Reading" pancake feed, and a fund-raiser to purchase books for a preschool classroom.
Dodge Elementary School students are having a door decorating contest where students decorate classroom doors to show the cover of their favorite book. Winners will receive a campfire sing-along with Principal Stephanie Schulte, complete with a Seuss treat to eat, scheduled sometime during the week. Students will learn the Read Across America song in vocal music classes. A staff member dressed in Dr. Seuss attire will visit classrooms throughout the day. During the month of March, Dodge students can relax and read in the Seuss Treehouse in the school's media center.
Gates Elementary School students may wear hats for the day on March 3. Students have made placemats with a reading theme that will be used at Tiffany Square Care Center and Lebensraum. Five students will read to residents at Tiffany Square from 11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. March 3. Gates' fifth-grade students will read to Lebensraum residents from 11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. March 3. One or two fifth-graders will be paired with each Lebensraum resident and will read to them.
At Jefferson Elementary School, teachers will present a readers' theater performance of "The Cat in the Hat" in the morning on March 3.
Shoemaker Elementary School students will celebrate reading with their families at a "Flipping Over Reading" pancake feed with the Pancake Man from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. March 3. Students can participate in a "pancake walk" rather than a "cake walk" and will be able to take home books as prizes. Shoemaker students are voting schoolwide to pick their favorite Dr. Seuss book and will be graphing the results.
At Starr Elementary School, teachers will present a readers' theater based on "Horton Hears a Who" at 8 a.m. March 3 in the schoolÕs gym, and students will take a reading pledge. Guest readers will read to students throughout the day, and students will be allowed to wear hats for "Hats Off to Reading." Students will participate in a trivia game about Dr. Seuss and books in between classes. Classrooms are having a door decorating contest where students decorate the doors as a book cover for a favorite book. The top three classrooms will get prizes, most likely a book for their classroom.
West Lawn Elementary School students will listen to Dr. Seuss books read by teachers every morning in the gym during the week of March 3, just before school starts.
Barr Middle School students will celebrate Read Across America during their Prime Time class on Monday. Students will identify their favorite Seuss books and explain why the books are their favorites.
Walnut Middle School students will participate in a "Reading Makes Good Cents" contest throughout the week of March 3. A large picture of the Cat in the Hat will be in the school's media center. Students are encouraged to bring spare change to outline and fill in the Cat in the HatÕs picture. Each day, those who donate will have their name placed in a drawing for the opportunity to duct tape integration specialist Janet Schutz to a wall. One student's name from each grade level will be drawn. Proceeds will be spent to purchase books for the preschool classroom at Walnut. On March 4, Walnut students will listen to the story "Wacky Wednesday" on Channel One. The school will have Walnut's Wacky Wednesday on March 5, where students are encouraged to dress backwards. Students will participate in a Dr. Seuss trivia challenge on March 6. On March 7, a book talk by a special Walnut mystery guest will be broadcast on Channel One. Also, the duct taping of Janet Schutz will occur if students reach their goal of covering the Cat in the Hat picture with change.
For more information, contact: Principals at the respective schools
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