Celebration of Reading Day Coincides with Children’s Book Collection for Sandy Victims
Post date: Apr 05, 2013 3:22:24 PM
March 1st was ‘Celebration of Reading Day’ in the Wells-Ogunquit CSD. This event is planned annually to coincide as closely as possible with the March 2nd birthday of author Theodor Geisel also known as Dr Seuss (1904-1991).
At Wells Elementary School each classroom was visited by one of twenty-eight guest readers from the District and community. Timeless children’s favorites as ‘Make Way for Ducklings’ by Robert McCloskey and Dr. Seuss’s ‘The Cat in the Hat’ were read. In the afternoon there was a special visit to the school by popular Dr. Seuss characters, Cat in the Hat and sidekicks, Thing One and Thing Two.
At Wells Junior High School members of the Rotary Club of Wells and WHS Interact Club visited the school to read. Organizer of Celebration of Reading Day at WJHS Cindy Roche formed teams consisting of one Rotarian and one Interact member to travel to various classrooms. Selections from ‘A Midsummer Night's Dream’, ‘Dead End In Norvelt’, and ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ were read to fifth, sixth and seventh graders respectively.
Interact members who read at WJHS included Sean Roche, Emily Lewia, Megan Young, Maddie Taylor, Sophie Lamb, and Ali Duplisea. Rotarians who attended included Suzanne Ilsley (President), William Hobbs, Rick Goodrich, Ryan Liberty, Peter Leon, Eleanor Vadenais and Terry Hodgskins.
This year, Celebration of Reading Day featured a special book drive to collect new or gently used children’s books for libraries and daycare centers damaged by Hurricane Sandy. Currently there are collection boxes placed at WellsElementary School, Wells Junior High School, Wells High School and Kennebunk Savings Bank in Wells. Books will be collected at these locations through March 22nd. These books will then be boxed up and shipped to the Bridges of Books Foundation with the cost for shipping paid for by the Rotary Club of Wells.
“It was a good turn out and everything turned out wonderful,” commented Community Resource Coordinator Maryanne Foley, who organized Celebration of Reading Day at WES and the children’s book drive.
Caption: Cat in the Hat (WHS teacher Nancy Cotty) and blue haired Thing One (Sarah Berger) and Thing Two (Mary Berger) visit the 1st grade classroom of Nancy Talbot at Wells Elementary School on March 1, 2013. Talbot is standing to the right of Cat in the Hat.
Caption: At Wells Junior High School Interact member Sean Roche (left) and Rotarian William Hobbs take turns reading.