Schools Celebrate Read Across America
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On Read Across America Day, March 2, Colt Leitner and Charlie Calvert read QB 1 by Mike Lupica.
From the White House Briefing Room on March 1, President Joe Biden renewed the Proclamation on Read Across America Day for 2023. The following day at 3:15, every student at Turner Public Schools (TPS) was engaged in reading. Across the country, thousands of schools, libraries, and community centers participated by bringing together young readers, teens, and books to celebrate Dr. Seuss' birthday. Theodor Seuss Geisel was born on March 2, 1904.
In making the Proclamation, President Biden stated, "On Read Across America Day, our Nation recognizes the value of literacy to our democracy. We celebrate the books that inspire our children to dream big, expand the limits of their understanding, and explore diverse perspectives and cultures through the eyes of others. We also honor educators, parents, librarians, authors, mentors, and everyone who fosters the power of reading to open doors of opportunity and build greater awareness about the complex world around us."
Paired as T-Mates, students at TPS sat in the gymnasium bleachers or in hallways to read to one another. Charlie Calvert and Colt Leitner spent time reading QB 1 by Mike Lupica. Inspired by the real-life Manning family of quarterbacks and set amid the football-crazy culture of Texas, QB 1 is a coming-of-age story about a freshman who is desperate to gain respect while playing high school football.
Another pair, Ben Warren and Landon Hickel read A Boy Called Bat by Elana K. Arnold. When Bixby Alexander Tam's (nicknamed Bat) veterinarian mother brings home an infant skunk to foster for a month, this third grader on the autism spectrum hopes to prove that he's responsible enough to keep the skunk as a pet.
Those students who didn't already have an in-progress book chose to read one from the selection provided on a cart brought in by School Librarian and Kindergarten Teacher, Mrs. Shelly Harmon.
Ben Warren and Landon Hickel read A Boy Called Bat by Elana K. Arnold. When Bixby Alexander Tam's (nicknamed Bat) veterinarian mother brings home an infant skunk to foster for a month, this third grader on the autism spectrum hopes to prove that he's responsible enough to keep the skunk, Thor, as a pet.
Launched in 1998 by the National Education Association (NEA), Read Across America is the nation's largest celebration of reading. This annual reading motivation and awareness program called for every child in every community to celebrate reading with this year's theme: Celebrating a Nation of Diverse Readers.
In his book I Can Read with My Eyes Shut, Dr. Seuss wrote: "The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go."
President Biden extended that idea with his words: "Books impart lessons that enrich our lives, stimulate our curiosity, promote contemplation and reflection, and affirm the myriad possibilities available to every person. Reading transports kids to unique places where they can embrace unfamiliar ideas, develop their own intellect, and spark creativity in their lives. Our children are the kite strings that lift our national ambitions, and inspiring them to read is essential to America's future."
