By Sherry Posnick-Goodwin
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Inglewood first-grader Brenda Nario's got milk. |
Judging from the enthusiasm displayed by 220 first-graders at Moffett Elementary School in Inglewood, celebrating Read Across America was an absolutely bovine experience.
Moffett students joined millions of others across the country celebrating the eighth anniversary of Read Across America, which is sponsored by NEA and its state and local affiliates. "Happy Readers Come from California. Got Books?" was the theme for CTA's observance.
The students were ushered into the auditorium by their teachers and welcomed by the Moffett Elementary School Principal JoAnn Isken, CTA President Barbara E. Kerr, NEA Executive Committee Member Michael Marks, who traveled all the way from Mississippi for the event, and Lennox Teachers Association President Fidel Lopez.
"Is this Valentine's Day?" asked Kerr.
"Nooooooooo," shouted the students.
"Is this Easter?" asked Kerr.
"Nooooooooo," yelled the students, wiggling on their benches as they anticipated the right answer.
"Is this Read Across America?" asked Kerr.
"YESSSS!" they shouted enthusiastically.
When the students quieted down, Kerr explained the importance of reading. "We all love reading because it makes us very, very smart." The students nodded wisely in agreement. And when Kerr presented their school library with a box of 50 books donated by Scholastic, the students applauded wildly.
Then it was time for the celebrities. There was Shelley Buckner, guest star on the WB series "Summerland" and honorary chair of California's Read Across America observance. And then there was JC Chasez, singer and songwriter for the former band *NSYNC. The students were, for lack of a better word, cowed.
"Reading is something that I have always loved to do and something I am very passionate about," said Buckner, who plays Amber Star on the series.
Chasez told the students it was cool to pick up a book and let your imagination run wild. "Some of you might end up writing songs and making albums one day, so it's a very good idea to learn to read."
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First-graders like Eduardo Guevara, Bianca Amezcua, Angel Martinez and Taric Wade get an art lesson from "Farmer McPeepers" illustrator Steve Gray (bottom right) |
Following the pep talk, students broke into small groups where guest celebrities, teachers and staff members read Farmer McPeepers and His Missing Milk Cows to them.
Next on the morning's agenda was a hands-on lesson in how to draw cows, presented by Steve Gray, illustrator of the Farmer McPeepers book. Gray drew gasps from the students when he told them he spent 750 hours creating illustrations for the book. It took a lot of time to make the cows look "naughty and mischievous."
The students were able to follow along easily by watching Gray on the overhead projector as he created a "Moo Dude." They shouted, "I did it! I did it!" in udder delight at the finished products.
The art experience was followed by milk donated by CTA and chocolate chip and oatmeal cookies, courtesy of Mrs. Fields Cookies. Each student received an L.A. Dodgers T-shirt and a folder decorated with dancing cows drawn by Gray. The cows were, of course, holding books, added by Gray in honor of CTA's observance of Read Across America.
The students would have celebrated until the cows came home, but all too soon it was time to return to class.
"Reading is a lot of fun," said Gustavo Mendez, wiping away cookie crumbs. "You can learn lots of new things."
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Students break into reading groups with visiting celebrities like *NSYNC's JC Chasez (top left), actress Shelley Buckner with teacher Patty Magallon (bottom left), and CTA President Barbara E. Kerr (right) |
