Students celebrate Dr. Seuss
Staff photo/Scott Mitchell Johnson
RON FARLEY served as a guest reader Friday at Pine Street Elementary School in observance of Read Across America. Here the retired school custodian reads “The Cat in the Hat Comes Back” to children in Kelli Beaulieu’s first-grade class. This was the 13th year the school has observed Read Across America. Other guest readers included Jane Foster and Karen Cyr.
By Scott Mitchell Johnson
PRESQUE ISLE — What could be better than a Cat in the Hat? Well three Cats in the Hat as a matter of fact!
Complete with tall, red and white-striped hats and red bow ties, three guest readers visited children at Pine Street Elementary School last Friday in observance of Read Across America.
Sponsored by the National Education Association, Read Across America is an annual reading motivation and awareness program that calls for every child in every community to celebrate reading March 2, the birthday of beloved children’s author Dr. Seuss.
“I’ve done this for 13 years,” said Jane Foster, reading teacher at Pine Street. “It’s a lot of fun; it’s fun for me and it’s fun for the kids. They love to see the readers dressed up in costumes.
“We want all of our students to enjoy books and enjoy reading,” she said, “and to develop a love of reading when they’re adults.”
Staff photo/Scott Mitchell Johnson
PINE STREET ELEMENTARY SCHOOL celebrated Read Across America Friday, which was Dr. Seuss’ birthday. Three guest readers visited all 18 classes at the school and read such books as “Ten Apples Up On Top!” “The Cat in the Hat Comes Back” and “Horton Hatches the Egg.” Participating in the event were, from left: April Sarasin (Thing 1), guest reader Jane Foster, dressed as the Cat in the Hat; kindergartner Karsen Page, and Bonnie Burnett (Thing 2). Thing 1 and Thing 2 are the twin mischief-makers who accompany the cat in the book, “The Cat in the Hat.” Sarasin and Burnett are custodians at Pine Street, while Foster is the school’s reading teacher. Page is a student in Angel Casavant’s class.
Joining Foster in reading Dr. Seuss books were guest readers Karen Cyr and Ron Farley.
The kindergartners were read “Ten Apples Up On Top!” while first-graders heard “The Cat in the Hat Comes Back.” Second-graders were told the story “Horton Hatches the Egg.”
“I love reading to the kids … no matter what age they are,” said Farley, who was a custodian at the school before retiring last year. “It’s nice to be remembered and asked to be back. I’ve been doing this for at least 10-12 years. I do it for the enjoyment that the kids express when you read to them.
“Some of the words Dr. Seuss used were ‘made up words,’” said Farley, who didn’t have a chance to rehearse before reading. “I may have to wing it, but luckily they’re young enough they won’t know the difference.”
The Elementary PTO purchased pencils, pencil grippers, erasers and small notepads for each child to commemorate the special day.
As an added treat, the students were served green eggs and ham for lunch, as well as a colorful Dr. Seuss cake for dessert.
