In a twist that blends the gridiron with the library aisles, New England Patriots alumni and cheerleaders took their playbook to the classroom to celebrate National Read Across America Day. They landed in Worcester's Chandler Elementary School to kick off the day by donating a Scholastic Book Fair, where they gifted each student three books and beefed up the school's library collection by an additional 300 volumes.
An event that turns a typical Friday into a literary fiesta, Read Across America Day saw a partnership between the Patriots Foundation, Dr. Seuss Enterprises, and publisher Random House to push forward the NFL's Tackle Reading initiative. According to patriots.com, former Patriot Max Lane and company read a Dr. Seuss tale to bright-eyed, bushy-tailed third and fourth graders at the Lafayette School in Everett, with K-5 students walking away with a new book from the beloved Massachusetts-bred children's author.
Meaningful literacy moments weren't confined to the realms of cheerleaders and football veterans. At Barbe Elementary, a quiet rapture unfolded as students divided into groups to navigate the whimsical world of Dr. Seuss reads, in honor of the author's birthday on March 2. The kids' engagement with the books was the kind of genuine enthusiasm educators dream of, KPLC reported.
Even more pageantry was on display at Our Lady Queen of Heaven School, where students had the license to transform into a character from Seuss's repertoire for the day. "It’s been so much fun," gushed Missy Bushnell, the elementary coordinator at OLQH, in a statement obtained by KPLC. "The kids are dressed up. Their excitement is palpable in the air. This is our first time to do this here at our school." Bushnell seethes with excitement for the future of this literary event and its potential to instill a long-lasting love for reading in the students.
Instituted by the National Education Association in 1998, this annual page-turning event – observed on the closest school day to Dr. Seuss's birthday when it doesn't fall on a weekday – envelops children across the United States in a sea of stories. It's more than just wearing stripy hats and reading "Green Eggs and Ham"; it's about setting imaginations alight and teaching young minds that, in the words of Dr. Seuss himself, "The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go." And this year, it seems everyone – from football stars to fancy dress fanatics – has gotten in on the fun, as reported by KOIN.
