By Delaney Crawford
Did you know that children who are regularly read to are more likely to develop strong literacy skills and a lifelong love for books?
That reason is exactly why schools across our area went all out for Read Across America week, turning classrooms into literary wonderlands with guest readers, themed activities and interactive storytelling sessions.
Read Across America week, launched in 1998 by the National Education Association, was created to promote literacy and inspire young readers. Traditionally celebrated on March 2, Dr. Seuss’s birthday, the event has grown into a weeklong nationwide movement.
This year, local schools embraced the spirit of the week with a variety of creative activities designed to make reading fun and accessible for all students.
St. Joseph Regional Catholic School
From Monday, March 3 through Friday, March 7, St. Joseph Regional Catholic School in Somers Point became a booklover’s paradise. Colorful banners filled the hallways, each encouraging students to read more, while classrooms were decorated with vibrant Dr. Seuss-themed displays and stacks of books waiting to be explored.
Every morning, teachers took to the morning announcements to share their book recommendations and the school welcomed guest readers throughout the week, like Sergeant Conover from the Somers Point Police Department, to the classrooms.
“At Saint Joe’s we celebrate reading all year long, but especially during Read Across America Week,” said second-grade teacher Shannon Crawford. “We started with decorating the halls and Monday Madness, where students dressed down and could wear crazy socks, hair, and/or hats.”
Each grade took part in book-related activities, but second grade went all out as the grade’s teachers Shannon Crawford and Matthew Rossetti hosted a “Green Eggs and Ham”-inspired breakfast on Friday and a StarBOOKs Café on Thursday.
The breakfast, an annual tradition, allowed kids to have some food while celebrating Dr. Seuss’s whimsical books. StarBOOKs is another beloved tradition. Smooth jazz filters through the air, giving the energy of a real coffee house.
Students rotated through decorated tables with different genre books to “taste”, helping encourage them to read a book in a new genre. One table within the StarBOOKs Café featured real Starbucks cups, cookies and a “Pink Drink” inspired by menu items.
Dawes Avenue Elementary School
At Dawes Avenue Elementary School, Read Across America is a monthlong celebration of books and literacy!
The festivities kicked off with a Dr. Seuss-themed Spirit Week, featuring fun dress-up days that brought excitement to the school community. In keeping with the month’s reading theme, Dawes Avenue hosts its Scholastic Book Fair in March, along with its highly anticipated Dawes Avenue Literacy Night.
During Read Across America week itself, the school was buzzing with enthusiasm as students enjoyed special guest readers. More will continue to filter in throughout the month.
“All of our little learners love to be read to! Our 3-year-old preschool students right on up to our 9-year-old third graders really enjoyed the various guests that we invited in to read,” Principal Melanie Wagner said.
The Dawes Avenue PTO also plays a key role in this monthlong celebration as it organizes the bookfair and coordinates a student reading challenge to help raise funds for district field trips.
On Thursday, March 6, author Daryl Cobb — who has written 18 children’s books, including “Do Pirates Go to Dawes Avenue School?” — visited to read to the students. To mark the occasion, students and staff dressed up in pirate-themed outfits.
Adding to the excitement, second and third graders are preparing to take the stage in “Seussical Jr.”, a playful tribute to Dr. Seuss, on March 11 and 18.
“The main goal that we hope to achieve through this monthlong reading celebration is to inspire a love for reading in our students. We think that when students have role models in reading and see others with a love for reading, that excitement can be contagious,” Wagner said.
Celebrating the
power of books
Read Across America week is more than just a celebration — it’s an opportunity to spark a lifelong love of reading in students. Through creative activities, inspiring guest readers, and the dedication of teachers and administrators, both Somers Point schools made this year’s event truly unforgettable.
Delaney Crawford is a dynamic entrepreneur with a passion for storytelling and digital marketing. After earning a BA in Communications, Delaney built a successful career in the newspaper industry, honing skills in, news writing, media, and content creation. Driven by a desire to empower local businesses, Delaney founded DC’s Social Media & Content Creation, a company dedicated to helping businesses enhance their brand image and thrive online.
