Kindergarten, first- and second-grade students from Na Wai Ola Public Charter School celebrated the 17th-annual “Read Across America Day” on March 3 at their campus in Mountain View.
Kindergarten, first- and second-grade students from Na Wai Ola Public Charter School celebrated the 17th-annual “Read Across America Day” on March 3 at their campus in Mountain View.
The celebration began with a reading from a proclamation for the day issued by Mayor Billy Kenoi, who encouraged “all our citizens, schools and students to engage in programs and activities to increase their awareness of reading.”
Merle Gornick, recreation director at the Parks and Recreation Department’s Mountain View Gym, requested the proclamation, stating the importance of providing opportunity for literary awareness and growth in our communities.
Gornick said she hoped the proclamation would help spread word of this special day and week, as “reading can become enjoyable experiences that could turn into lifelong hobbies for children and adults alike.”
Gornick arranged the special activities at the school via partnerships with several organizations. Na Wai Ola’s students were treated to special readings of two Dr. Seuss books by their teachers, “who read through the tongue-twisters flawlessly.”
Gornick led each class in making Dr. Seuss bookmarks, presented each child with a certificate of participation and donated 36 slightly read books to their class bookshelves.
Pua Evans of Queen Liliuokalani Children’s Center gave two new Dr. Seuss hardback books to representatives of each class and Gornick presented new books for each child in all three grades from Read To Me International, whose mission is to “share the love and joy of reading aloud.”