News & Press Releases
Weeklong “Read Across America” Observation Begins at ICS
“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.” – Dr. Suess
Irvington Community School students will be celebrating the joy of literacy through the school’s third consecutive year of participation in the national Read Across America program during the week of March 24, 2008. Read Across America Day took place, as customary, on March 2, which is Dr. Seuss’ birthday. The ICS decided to delay our observation of this important event in order to “catch our breath” from the month-long Black History Month Challenge in February and in the interest of placing even greater emphasis this year on our Read Across America programming. As a result, thanks to ICS Literacy Coach Staci Lovold and Assistant Literacy Coach Susan Arvin, students will benefit from more robust programming throughout this special week.
Following is the ICS Read Across America schedule of events:
Monday: “Read Me Day”: Students are asked to search through their wardrobes for clothing that contains lots of writing. (Please note: If students are wearing inappropriate clothing or clothing with inappropriate language, ICS behavior coaches will be calling parents to bring in appropriate attire for their children.)
Tuesday: “Drop Everything and Read Day”: At any given time throughout the school day, someone will visit the classrooms without warning and shout, “Drop everything and read!” When an entire class is caught in the act of reading, it will be awarded a prize.
Wednesday: “The Match Game”: Classes will attempt to match ICS staff members with their favorite books. The class with the most correct answers will win a prize.
Thursday: “Dress as Your Favorite Character Day”: Students and teachers are encouraged to dress as their favorite book character. Participants should also bring a copy of the book to school that contains the character reference.
Friday: Read Across America culminating events: Students will be invited to the ICS Gym to participate in a variety of literacy activities occurring throughout the day.
Of note, in addition to the daily activities listed above, each class will create a poster displaying its favorite book or book series.
Mrs. Lovold says, “In the past our focus was on the specific act of reading books and logging class totals to earn a prize. This year, we are hoping to encourage our students to think in greater depth about what they can gain from reading. By offering activities such as Dress as Your Favorite Character Day, Read Me Day, the poster competition, and student book reports, our students will be encouraged to put more focus on the interpretation texts and print.”
She continues, “Whenever we devote time and energy to a specific cause or objective – which is what Read Across America is all about – it helps our students gain a better understanding of its importance in their daily lives.”
If you have any questions about the ICS Read Across America programming, please contact .