Post Avenue students started the month with an engaging week filled with reading, art, and plenty of activities. Students and teachers kicked off their Reading Across America Spirit Week with theme days that highlighted different books and helped ignite a joy for reading.
Spirit Week could be seen and felt throughout the school and even included activities for students to enjoy at home with their families. Introducing the benefits of reading at the preschool level builds a strong foundation and supports the development of lifelong readers.
“I love reading,” said Connie Neylon, Special Education Teacher. “What could be more fun than reading a book.”
Spirit Week started Monday, March 2, with Be Silly Day, followed by Musical Books Day, Favorite Book Day, Cat in the Hat Day, and ended with Bedtime Stories Day on Friday, where students came dressed in pajamas. Families were also encouraged to complete fun tasks during the week—to sign up for a library card and pick a new favorite book.
Connie’s students enjoyed dressing up and took photos on Silly Hat and Favorite Book Day. Students even brought in books to share with classmates including Barbie and the Diamond Castle by Mary Man-Kong, Pottysaurus by Little Hippo Books, and Meet Bluey’s Friends, part of the Bluey series created by a team of authors.
Each class expressed creativity when planning activities. In her class, Grace McGinley, Special Education Teacher, introduced students to new books with similar themes to the popular Dr. Seuss books. While reading a book called A Hole in the Bottom of the Sea by Barefoot Books, students learned about sea creatures and the marine food chain in a tongue-twisting singalong style.
What followed the reading was an art activity that Soila Reyes, Teacher Assistant, said the children liked the most.
“They enjoyed using the bubble wrap because they painted it and had to rub it in. Then they did their hand as a fish” Soila said. “They learned about whales, the octopus, the fishes. Almost like the One Fish, Two Fish, but a different book.”
Students also created personalized bookmarks to take on their upcoming reading adventures. Overall, it was a powerful week of fun and discovery for students and their families, as they continue their learning journey.
