Seussapalooza: Dr. Seuss' Birthday and More!

Each year the National Education Association (NEA) highlights literacy through the celebration of Dr. Seuss' birthday during the first week of March.  It is also called Read Across America (RAA).  Schools use this opportunity to create school-wide celebrations around literacy.  This year, at Sonora, we had a weeklong celebration that was led by our "Seuss-ta-tic" librarian, Mrs. Brenda Love!

To really make the event successful and include the promotion of literacy, Mrs. Love, with the support of our leadership team, began to plan early in the year.  She purchased and collected enough books to ensure that every child PK-5th grade received a book during RAA week.  She made these accessible to the teachers the week prior to the RAA kick-off so teachers could gather the appropriate books for each students' reading level. 

We shared our overall plan with the staff prior to the kick-off.  Mrs. Love shared a file on Google Drive with shared reading poems, pintables, and other resources.

We kicked off RAA at our monthly school-wide assembly called Hoot n' Holler the Friday before the actual RAA week.  All our teachers wore a Dr. Seuss hat for the assembly, which is a true joy for all the students and parents to witness.  Teachers read the RAA poem:

You're never too old, too wacky, too wild,
To pick up a book and read with a child.
You're never too busy, too cool, or too hot,
To pick up a book and share what you've got.

In schools and communities,
Let's gather around,
Let's pick up a book,
Let's pass it around.

There are kids all around you,
Kids who will need
Someone to hug,
Someone to read.

 

Come join us March 3rd
Your own special way
And make this America's
Read to Kids Day

Then, the students read the RAA promise:

I promise to read
Each day and each night.
I know it's the key
To growing up right.

I'll read to myself,
I'll read to a crowd.
It makes no difference
If silent or loud.

I'll read at my desk,
At home and at school,
On my bean bag or bed,
By the fire or pool.

Each book that I read
Puts smarts in my head,
'Cause brains grow more thoughts
The more they are fed.



Finally, the stage curtains were opened to reveal a "birthday surprise".  The books teachers had chosen for each child in their classroom were displayed as gifts - one for each class (a true gift of literacy).

Coach Cole and Coach McGinley worked with the students in PE to do a flash mob dance.  At the end of the assembly we did it one more time.  Not really about RAA, but thought you might enjoy!

 Sonora Elementary Flash Mob (RAA Week)
 

The celebration continued over the next week based on this note below that was sent to parents:

 We did have to alternate our plan some due to snow days, but we did get all the days accomplished.  On Wednesday, March 5th, we started with Wacky Wednesday.  Yes, we dressed wacky with mismatched clothes and wacky hair.  Also, Mrs. Love chose two students with the most growth in their reading in the first nine weeks to deliver the books to each classroom. 

 

 

 On Thursday, March 6, the students brought a gently used book to be donated to the Children’s House.  This allowed them to get a free picture taken in our “Seuss Photo Booth.”  Students that donated books received a free photo.  Everyone got in on the action! 

 

I even got in on some of the action!

 

 On Friday, March 7 we celebrated the book One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish by wearing red, white & blue.

 

On Saturday, March 8 (yes on Saturday; we had snow days to make up!) we celebrated the book I Am NOT going to get up Today! by wearing our pajamas.

 

On Monday, March 10 we celebrated the Grinch by wearing as much Green as we could!

 

 On Tuesday, March 11 we celebrated Fox in Socks by wearing our crazy socks!!

Originally we had scheduled a Family Math Night for March 4th.  Yet, we were not in school due to snow.  So, our Mathapalooza was held the following week on the 11th. 

 

 

We gathered parents together to discuss a K-2nd topic and 3rd-5th grade topic.  Students were taken to recess, while we "taught" parents how to support fact fluency and use real-world situation, like a trip to the grocery store, to teach math to their children.  Our K-2 students were able to go to their classrooms and play fact fluency games.  They were able to leave with the games to continue their work on fact fluency.  Parents and children all met back in the cafeteria for nachos provided by the Sonora Parent Teacher Association.  What a great night!

 

One other highlight of the week was a daily trivia on the morning announcements.  We also included our school-wide vocabulary for the week to fit the Dr. Seuss theme:  nonsense.  To build upon this, some kindergarten students built nonsense stories.

 

There is a fath in my bath. 
Fath is a nonsense word.

Vower is a nonsense word. 
There is a vower in my shower.



At the end of the week, not only had we had fun and celebrated literacy, but we were able to give back to our community.  Our students donated 785 books to the Children's House!

 

 

Way to go, Scholars!

 

Be watching for my next post . . . Sonora:  First Elementary Founder's Winner!