4-02-2024 4:50am

Boyertown Elementary School Students and Staff Celebrate "Read Across America Week"

Lesley Misko Editor

by Mrs. Julianna Graff,

Boyertown Elementary School Reading Specialist

Boyertown Elementary School recently celebrated reading with a week long celebration for "Read Across America (RAA)."

Staff and students celebrated with spirit wear and reading themed activities. Themes included: Reading Gives Us Friendship, Reading Gives Us Energy, Reading Gives Us Creativity, Reading Gives Us Knowledge, Reading Gives Us Favorite Characters.

Students read with Reading Buddies, read to stuffed animals, dressed in creative/wacky wear, listened to guest readers and retired teachers who read to the classrooms, and dressed as their favorite book characters.

Read Across America, created by the National Education Association, debuted in 1998, and is "the nation's largest celebration of reading," according to the RAA website. Although it is a year-round program, there is a special focus on March 2 and the month of March, which is National Reading Month. During March, "Across the nation, teachers, teenagers, librarians, politicians, actors, athletes, parents, grandparents, and others develop Read Across America activities to bring reading excitement to children of all ages. Governors, mayors, and other elected officials recognize the role reading plays in their communities with proclamations and floor statements. Athletes and actors issue reading challenges to young readers. And educators and principals seem to be more than happy to dye their hair green or be duct-taped to a wall to boost their students’ enthusiasm for reading."

[Editor's Note -- Information about Boyertown's participation in the program was written by Mrs. Julianna Graff and shared, along with photos, from "Let's Talk Tuesdays," a digital newsletter published by the Boyertown Area School District. Information about "Read Across America" is sourced from the National Education Association website.]