Students celebrate Read Across America Day

In recognition of the value of reading and literacy, the students from Freeport Public Schools’ Bayview Avenue, Leo F. Giblyn and New Visions elementary schools participated in Read Across America Day.

At Bayview Avenue Elementary School, Principal Kelly Fairclough was a guest reader for first grade classrooms, sharing the book “Mae Among the Stars,” by Roda Ahmed. The story was about Mae Jemison, the first African American woman to travel in space.

“Read Across America is a great day to encourage reading to relax,” Fairclough said. “I enjoyed sharing a book that connected to Women’s History Month and conveyed the idea of dreaming, believing in yourself and working hard because anything is possible.”

Meanwhile, Freeport High School students visited classrooms at New Visions to read a range of stories to younger students, both in groups and one-on-one, and encouraged them to make time for reading. New Visions Principal Jessica Romero was excited to welcome the high school students and highlighted the importance of reading in exploring communities both near and far.

“We were excited to welcome 18 Freeport High School students to New Visions to promote literacy in our elementary classrooms,” Romero said. “Our high school partners read and led discussions on “Dream Street”, a picture book that celebrates cultural differences and deep familial bonds. New Visions is a school of exploration and discovery, and we like to think of reading as a way to explore communities both near and far.”

At Leo F. Giblyn Elementary School, the students, teachers, and staff organized a reading “sit-in” in the school’s hallways. The group sat and read the book of their choice for 20 minutes before the end of the school day. Principal Amy Lederer saw the activity as a way to foster a love of reading among the students and to model what a good reader looks like. She also pointed out that the school is called “A Passport to Learning,” and what better way to open the door to learning than by recognizing the importance of reading.

“In addition to fostering a love of reading among our students, we developed the reading “sit-in” because we wanted to model what a good reader looks like,” Lederer said. “Our School is called A Passport to Learning, and what better way to open the door to learning than by recognizing the importance of reading.”

Read Across America Day is a national reading event aimed at promoting literacy and encouraging a love of reading among children.