The Daily Hampshire Gazette had a wonderful article & pictures in yesterday's paper on Crocker Farm's Read Across America event. Many thanks to Ms. McQuaid for organizing the event & to all the adult volunteers who came & read in classrooms.
Here's the link to the article & photos: Gazette Cat in the Hat at Crocker Farm
and here is in the text, reprinted from the article:
‘The Cat in the Hat’ and other Dr. Seuss characters entertain students at Crocker Farm Elementary School
AMHERST — “The Cat in the Hat” and company paid a visit to Crocker Farm Elementary School on Wednesday.
To celebrate “Read Across America,” a nationwide event sponsored by the National Education Association, Crocker Farm librarian Susan McQuaid invited the famous Dr. Seuss character and some of his companions to the school cafeteria Wednesday morning to inspire the student body. Over the course of the day, classrooms were visited by Amherst College athletes and Amherst Police officers who read students their own favorite Dr. Seuss stories.
“It’s been a long winter, and it’s just an opportunity to have fun together,” McQuaid said.
During the morning assembly, around 300 students in kindergarten through Grade 5 filled the cafeteria wearing Cat in the Hat hats made of red-and-white construction paper. Younger students were paired with an older reading buddy.
After a brief period of quiet reading, the gathering was interrupted when the Cat in the Hat himself (portrayed by Cedric Gonnet) burst into the cafeteria with fellow Seuss characters Thing 1 (Sandra Bodkin) and Thing 2 (Danielle Groux) in tow. They were soon joined by the Lorax (Alvie Borrell), who expressed his concern that children are spending too much time on electronics and not reading enough.'
“I’m the Lorax, I speak for the books,” the Lorax said.
To ease the Lorax’s worry, the Cat in the Hat recited rhymes such as, “Oh Crocker Farm Kids, we must all do our part/to help dear Lorax/and lift up his heart,” and “So pick up your books/hold them high. Have no fear/and if you love reading/let’s give a big cheer.” The original rhymes were written by Crocker Farm reading specialist Beth Wojtusik with help from McQuaid.
It’s not the first time this year that college athletes have made a stop at a local elementary school to promote reading. Last month, 45 athletes from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Mount Holyoke, Smith College, Amherst College, Westfield State, as well as high school athletes from the Williston Northampton School and Easthampton High School participated in the fourth annual “Athletes Love to Read” event at Maple Elementary School in Easthampton, open to all Easthampton families with young children. The athletes also signed autographs.
Maple Street Principal Judith Averill said that this year’s event differed from past years because not only were the athletes reading to the children, but the children were reading to the athletes.
“It was just a very sweet event,” she said.
Gena Mangiaratti can be reached at gmangiaratti@gazettenet.com.
