JFK students read the day away

Students participate in Read Across America.

By: Joseph Harvie
   JAMESBURG — Dr. Suess inspired hats and clothes graced the hallways of the John F. Kennedy school Friday, and stories from the beloved children’s author were read to classes throughout the day.
   The scene was part of the annual Read Across America program, sponsored by the National Education Association. The program was established seven years ago to motivate children to read and coincides with the March 2 birthday of late children’s author Dr. Seuss, whose real name was Theodore Geisel.
   Dr. Seuss wrote more than 40 children’s books, popular because of their often illogical and nonsensical rhymes, before his death in 1991.
   Students at JFK celebrated what would have been Dr. Seuss’ 100th birthday by decorating their classroom doors with Dr. Seuss themes and characters.
   Barbara Stone’s pre-k classroom had hung colorful socks, decorated with buttons, pins and marker-made designs, on their door where a sign read: "Can you find our Fox in Socks?" They had Dr. Seuss’ character, Fox in Socks, hiding in one of the socks on the door. "Fox in Socks" is the Dr. Seuss story of a mischievous red fox who likes to play tongue-twisting games with his friend, Mr. Knox.
   Elena Strout, the school’s basic skills teacher, read the Dr. Seuss classic "The Cat in the Hat" to Ms. Stone’s pre-k class.
   The class sat attentively as she read the story of a cat that visits two bored children on a rainy day, wreaking havoc throughout the house with the aid of Thing 1 and Thing 2. The students laughed at the pictures of the cat balancing books, fishbowls and pots and pans while standing on a ball.
   "They were very attentive and listened to what I read," Ms. Strout said. "I teach basic skills and I don’t get a chance to do this with all my classes so it was nice."
   Lucille Panos, the school secretary, read: "I Wish I Had Duck Feet," to Erin McNamara’s first-grade class.
   "I Wish I Had Duck Feet," written by Theodore LeSieg and illustrated by B. Tobey, tells the story of a boy who wishes for duck feet, deer antlers, and a whale spout but then finds there are drawbacks in each.
   The children, wearing "Cat in the Hat," stovepipe top hats with brims made of paper plates and tops made of rolled construction paper, laughed at the boy’s wishes. They especially liked the whale spout he wished for, which he said he would use to keep his classroom cool, and to play tennis in the afternoon sun without breaking a sweat.
   "Sometimes you can wish for a lot of things in this world," Ms. Panos told the children. "But they may not turn out the way you want it to, so only wish after you think things out."
   Ms. Panos also read to a fourth-grade class earlier in the day. She chose Dr. Seuss’ book, "Oh the Places You’ll Go."
   She said she chose the book because of its uplifting message encouraging children to keep striving to do their best in school.
   "It tells the children they can go anywhere in life," Ms Panos said. "Even Dr. Seuss knows that."