Indian Mills Elementary School Read Across America Assembly
The National Education Association is building a nation of readers through its signature program, Read Across America. Now in its eighteenth year, this year-round program focuses on motivating children and teens to read through events, partnerships, and reading resources. NEA’s national reading celebration takes place each year on March 2, the birthday of Dr. Seuss. Across the country, thousands of schools, libraries, and community centers participate by bringing together kids, teens, and books.
Indian Mills Elementary School’s kickoff Read Across America assembly was a truly Seussational day! Last November, while attending the New Jersey Education Association’s annual convention, Sherry DuBoff, a K-4 Response to Intervention Teacher, entered a contest to win a Cat in the Hat visit. In January, she was notified that Indian Mills Elementary School won the contest, with the visit scheduled for February twenty-third.
NJEA’s “Cat in the Hat” is portrayed by a retired teacher who dons a professional costume. Once put on, the “Cat” stands over seven feet tall. That is quite an imposing figure for elementary school students and teachers alike. The “Cat” exploded onto the assembly; danced and high-fived the students during a sing-along; followed by a school wide chant of the Reader’s Oath. In the end, the “Cat” presented Indian Mills Elementary School with its own autographed copy of “Horton Hears a Who” for the school library. And, as the good doctor always said, “You can find magic wherever you look. Six back and relax, all you need is a good book.”
After the “Cat” left, the Indian Mills Memorial School’s Drama Club, comprised of students from grades five through eight, presented Dr. Seuss skits and visited the classrooms to read to the students. The week-long celebration included theme dress-up days, poster and trivia contests, and even green eggs and ham in the cafeteria on Dr. Seuss’s birthday. It was truly a Seussational week at Indian Mills Elementary School.
