MARCH 4, 2010 ISSUE
Hardin Park Participates In Read Across America
Students in Maria Nash’s first-grade class at Hardin Park strike a pose after listening to stories read by Shannon Isaacs, Boone’s Adopt-A-Street coordinator, and Marsha Story, recycling coordinator for Boone. Photo submitted 
Sen. Steve Goss (D-45) reads to students at Hardin Park Tuesday, March 2, in observance of Read Across America. Photo submittedIn observance of the March 2 birthday of beloved author Dr. Seuss, the National Education Association created Read Across America to promote reading in schools nationwide, an event that began in 1998.
At Hardin Park Elementary, a more-than-10-year tradition is to invite community members to come read to pre-kindergarten to fifth-grade classrooms for half an hour, said Candice Trexler, media specialist at Hardin Park.
“The kids just really enjoy it,” she said of the way in which the school observes Read Across America.
This year, 28 readers participated, including the mayor, representatives from the Watauga County Sheriff’s Department, Boone Police Department and ASU’s ROTC program, a senator and a fire chief, Trexler said.
“It’s a variety of community workers, mostly,” she said. “It’s a neat way to involve people in the community with our school here.”
Shannon Isaacs, Boone’s Adopt-A-Street coordinator, and Marsha Story, recycling coordinator for Boone, read to Maria Nash’s first-grade class.
“It was fun,” Isaacs said. “We had a great time. It’s very worthwhile.”
“This has been fulfilling for me as a professional,” Story said. “I’m able to share with young minds the importance of recycling [and] let them know the importance of reading.”
Although most of the guest readers picked out children’s books from the media center, Isaacs and Story brought age-appropriate books with them that they had purchased for the town’s recycling program, they said.
Wearing red and white-striped Cat in the Hat-likehats, the women read about characters named “Michael Recycle” and “Doug the Litterbug.”
Story said she enjoys “any opportunity to teach children about greening our planet.”
Nash’s students, all wearing cardboard hats fashioned to look like birthday cakes, also had a good time.
“It was fun, and we learned about a lot of stuff,” student Leah Hampton said. “We learned to recycle and not to litter.”
The observance of Dr. Seuss’ birthday was “exciting,” student Frieda Paz-Miranda shared.
“It was fun, and we learned to read,” student Abigail Utter said.
“I learned to recycle and not to litter, and not to do bad stuff to the earth,” studentEllie Grill said.
“I think this is a wonderful program that they have,” Nash said, adding that she appreciates the librarians who organized the event.
“It’s a lot of work to get all those readers lined up,” she said.
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