Chaotic weather forecasts didn’t stop Radix Elementary School students and teachers from celebrating Read Across America.
By Krista Cerminaro
Last week’s heavy snowstorms might have caused some dismay for Monroe Township Public Schools, which faced shortened days and two-hour delays.
But, amid the chaotic weather and schedule changes, students and staff at Radix Elementary School in Williamstown didn’t let that stop them from celebrating the National Education Association’s Read Across America.
Read Across America, according to the NEA website, is a reading motivation and awareness program that allows students everywhere to celebrate on author Dr. Seuss’ birthday.
Last week, students at Radix celebrated school-wide by completing a multitude of activities from classroom to classroom, and wearing themed outfits pertaining to Dr. Seuss books.
“I think anytime we can connect literature with something fun and meaningful for the students, it just makes them more engaged and interested in what we’re learning,” first-grade teacher Gina Marcovecchio said. “And also, getting to know who the author is, and why he chose to write these stories and things like that, I think is very important for them to make those types of connections.”
The school kicked off the celebrations on Dr. Seuss’ birthday Friday, March 2, and continued through Friday, March 8.
“On Dr. Seuss’ actual birthday — we partnered with a first-grade class, and the students read their favorite Dr. Seuss book, as buddy readers. And, we worked with another third-grade class and made ‘oobleck’ for one of Dr. Seuss’ books, ‘Bartholomew and the Oobleck,’” said third-grade teacher Katie Donio. “So, they made slime, and then they did some STEM activities where they decided if the object — like dice or a paper clip — would sink or float in the ‘oobleck.’”
Last week, Donio said the students had special dress-up events to continue the Read Across America celebrations, starting with “Fox in Socks” day on Monday, where students wore funky socks. On Tuesday, they matched with a friend for “Thing One and Thing Two” day, Wacky Wednesday brought forth students in mismatched clothing and wacky hairstyles, and on Thursday, they sported hats for “Cat in the Hat.” Finally, Friday brought the week to an end with “Mustache Day,” where they got creative with mustaches in honor of “The Lorax.”
Dorio said Read Across America week allows the students to spread awareness about their love of reading.
“Especially when we partner-read with the first-grade class, they really took pride in practicing their fluency, and getting to show that passion for reading to the younger students. I think it just resonates with them — when they’re at home, they’re looking for new, enjoyable books to read. Some of them were even drawing like Dr. Seuss with his fun characters, and making little comic strips and things like that,” Donio said. “So, just taking that passion for reading outside of the classroom and spreading it to younger kids, and even brothers and sisters and parents at home is great.”
Marcovecchio said the celebrations also sparked student interested in reading beyond just Seuss’ most popular books.
“My classroom library right now is full of Dr. Seuss books,” Marcovecchio said. “They just wanted to explore all different types of literature by Dr. Seuss, not just the popular titles.”
In Marcovecchio’s classroom, littered with colorful bins filled to the brim with books, students completed other literature-based activities throughout the week.
“One of the things that I’m doing in my class is a little Dr. Seuss comprehension flipbook. So, on the first day we did ‘Hop on Pop,’ and we concentrated on finding the rhyming words in the story,” Marcovecchio explained. “I read ‘Cat in the Hat,’ we drew a picture of what our room would look like if the Cat in the Hat came to visit us, and then we wrote about what it would look like.”
Marcovecchio also said Monroe Township Chief of Police John McKeown visited the class on March 7 to read a story to her students.
