We celebrated reading!

Read Across America: Celebrating Dr. Seuss's 103rd Birthday

Students in Danville joined millions of their peers across the country to celebrate the ninth annual National Education Association's (NEA) Read Across America Day during the week of March 2, 2007. NEA's Read Across America Day, which fell on Dr. Seuss's 103rd birthday, had more than 45 million readers, both young and old, to pick up a book and read; and Danville School District was part of them.

To honor the good doctor and celebrate the fun and value of reading, the schools in Danville celebrated literacy with many exciting activities. The week was kicked off by the mayor reading and signing a proclamation recommitting the Danville community to engage in programs and activities to make America’s children the best readers in world. The mayor joined as all of our Danville Independent Schools and community leaders came together under one hat--the red and white stovepipe made famous by the Cat in the Hat--for a flurry of reading excitement.
For the rest of the week, those who were six, sixteen, sixty-four and more celebrated great events, such as, green and egg and ham breakfast; guest readers; book clubs; special assemblies; and creative writing. As the exhilarating week of activities closed, each school gathered at the radio station to share with the community the reading of our original pieces.

We ended our celebration by giving the gift of over 500 new baby books to Ephraim McDowell Medical Center. They will give a book in each newborn welcome package for the parents to read to their child.

Through our participation in Read Across America, the Danville School District hold this truth to be self evident that all children have the right to read. To secure this right, every adult has a role to play. We want to recognize a community that stood with us in our dream of a day when every American student knows the joy of being swept away by the powerful prose of a good book!