Students bring life to their favorite characters
Macon County elementary school students and staff spent last week celebrating their favorite books for Read Across America.
While March 2 is the National Education Association’s official Read Across America Day, the schools dedicated their entire school week to the movement. One of the most common ways they celebrated was with costume days centered on different book themes, allowing kids to dress up as their favorite superheroes from graphic novels, pirates and wizards from adventure tales, '80s personalities from more modern classics and more. There were also plenty of activities to participate in, such as decorating classroom doors like famous book scenes.
“It’s very engaging for them,” said Cristy Passmore, the librarian at South Macon Elementary School. “It definitely gets them excited about books and it’s very important to make it fun for them.”
Children’s book author Dr. Seuss, whose birthday was the inspiration for the first Read Across America Day in 1998, has been a central figure in the event for decades. This year was no different for Macon County Schools, where Seuss books were prominently featured in celebrations for their ease of access for younger audiences. Seuss became an unexpected figure of controversy during this year’s event when Dr. Seuss Enterprises announced that it would stop printing new copies of a few of his books because they utilize racist imagery, but teachers say that there are still lots of good lessons for kids spread across his canon.
“I think it’s great for the kids to have books that incorporate these characters who embody a spirit of kindness, but also aren’t afraid to be their own people,” said Kayla Schulte, a first grade teacher at Cartoogechaye Elementary School.
For the kids, Read Across America was all about creativity. They recognized creativity in their favorite books, but they also got to express their own when they came up with a costume they could get excited about or designed a new fantasy creature that would fit in a Dr. Seuss book. Nothing gets kids, or anyone else for that matter, more engaged in literature than being able to connect with it on a personal level.
“There’s been a lot of talent and it’s been great fun,” kindergartener Everleigh Rostallon said.
For school staff, making sure that the kids are having fun reading is an essential part of their job in any year, but this year, it means more to them than ever. Spirit Days, parties and decorations are the kinds of things that the kids have missed out on this year because of the challenges of distance learning. As the end of the pandemic begins to peek out from the horizon, educators hope this is the prelude for happier times that the students can count on in the upcoming school year.
“It’s good to have something normal like this that we can do for them,” Cartoogechaye principal Kristin Lynch said. “I hope we’re going to be doing a lot more normal things soon.”