February 29, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Read Across America Celebrations
Put On Your Hat and Read with the Cat

It's a celebration of reading and literacy, and of one of America's favorite children's authors — Dr. Seuss. Monday, March 3 will mark the 10th anniversary of the National Education Association's (NEA) Read Across America program.

Launched in 1997, Read Across America focuses the country's attention on how important it is to motivate children to read. The celebration takes place every year around the birth date of Dr. Seuss (which is officially on March 2), the beloved author whose use of rhyme makes books an effective tool for teaching young children the love of reading.

A number of Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools will be hosting formal and informal celebrations of Read Across America.

Welborn Elementary School has invited guest readers to visit the school that day to read to classes between 8:45 a.m. and 3 p.m. The readers may bring their own book or choose one from a selection that Librarian Kim Sprowl will have available. Scheduled readers include Mayor Joe Reardon; Board of Education members Gloria Willis, George Breidenthal and Linda Pendleton; KCKPS administrators and staff members Connie Brand, Jim Heiman, Jean Ney, Jayson Strickland, Steve Gering, Yvonne Pandzich, and others. Also, a number of staff from State Farm, the school's corporate sponsor, will be reading at the school that day, as well as staff from the KCK Public Library.

Staff from Wyandotte High School and Mark Twain Elementary School are collaborating on a special program to bring Dr. Seuss' books to life during Read Across America day. Wyandotte staff Patricia Hodison, vocal music and choir director, and Michelle Lee, theater, have been working with five groups of 10th through 12th grade students to adapt Dr. Seuss' books into plays to perform for students at Mark Twain. They have teamed up with Mark Twain music teacher Christina Litke. While the project promotes literacy and reading, it also allows the Wyandotte students to serve as role models for the younger students, Hodison said.