Read Across Grapeland
Elementary Tours City to Read
By Will Johnson
Messenger Reporter
GRAPELAND â On Friday, March 1, Grapeland ISD was closed for business so students could go cheer on the Sandiettes in the State Semifinals down in San Antonio.
Unfortunately, for Grapeland elementary students, Friday, March 1 was also the National Education Associationâs Read Across America Day and a celebration of the birthday of Dr. Seuss.
The day is actually celebrated on March 2, but because the second fell on Saturday this year, many area schools celebrated on Friday.
âThere is a program called âRead Across Americaâ and it is to celebrate Dr. Seussâ birthday,â Grapeland Elementary Principal Cassie Satterwhite said on Friday afternoon, March 8.
âWe were out of school for the state tournament so instead of doing âRead Across America,â we did âRead Across Grapeland.â We took kids to different businesses around town,â the principal explained.
Satterwhite said another part of the âRead Across Grapelandâ program was also held on the elementary campus.
âWe had two local authors come and read to our students. One was Michael McCall, from Crockett, and one was Rosa Davis, from our SPED Co-op. They came and read their books to our students and told them how they became an author because this (writing) wasnât their first job,â she said.
Later in the afternoon, Satterwhite explained, the older students teamed up with the younger students so they could read to them.
The students also had a little bit of fun with the program as they got to wear a variety of Dr. Seuss-themed attire throughout the week.
âAll week, we have done dress-up days to celebrate Dr. Seuss. On Monday, we did stripes or your favorite hat. On Tuesday, we did fox and socks, where we wore crazy socks. Wednesday was âWhacky Wednesday,â where we all dressed whacky. Yesterday, we did our âthings.â You could either dress as thing one or thing two or you could have a twin. Today, the students could either wear red or blue for the book âOne Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish,ââ she said.
Some of the teachers even got in on the act as Kindergarten Teacher Jessica Stafford assumed the role of Cat-in-the-Hat on Monday and passed it off to First Grade Teacher Kay Hamill on Friday.
Will Johnson may be contacted via e-mail at [email protected].Â
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