Read Across America Day is March 1, 2013
Happy
Birthday,
Dr. Seuss
Create a reading event
his is by far the most typical
celebration and can be easily
adapted to other situations.
��� Consult your principal and obtain
approvals. In our experience, principals love NEA's Read Across
America. Most will not only support your efforts, they will become
actively involved.
T
��� Look at your school's calendar
and choose a date to celebrate. The
official day is March 1, 2013. If this
conflicts with another event, feel
free to pick a different day Some
.
schools celebrate the week before or
after.
��� Read NEA���s copyright and
licensing arrangements at
www.nea.org/ grants/13082.htm.
It's important to honor our agreements with Dr. Seuss Enterprises in
order to maintain our special relationship.
��� Consult with your school
librarian. It's likely that he or she
is already familiar with Read
Across America and may have ideas
to offer. Reserve books in advance���
there may be a run on Dr. Seuss
titles!
��� Ask other teachers if they are
making plans. Consider coordinating your efforts for a school-wide
event.
��� Invite guest readers to come to
your class on March 1 and read to
your students. There is something
powerful about a policeman, firefighter, mayor, radio personality,
pastor, high school quarterback, or
grandmother sharing their love for
reading. Be sure and ask your
guests to talk about why reading is
important in their lives, and about
their favorite books when they were
kids. Afterwards, have your students write thank-you notes. Don���t
forget DSEA staff. Call either
office. They love to read to your students.
��� Make arrangements for a
birthday cake, if resources allow.
You might want to have it decorated
with "Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss." If
funds are short, ask if any parents
are enthusiastic bakers. Easy alternatives are cupcakes or cookies.
Add fruit punch or juice for a beverage. There���s always Oobleck!
��� Get some hats! Everyone wants
the famous Cat in the Hat hat, available at discount from Smilemakers.
See their ad here. Or you can make
your own from red and white construction paper. A 39 oz. coffee can
has a good diameter for the crown,
and you can trace a large dinner
plate for the brim. This makes a fun
class project. There is also a pattern
from "Craft Elf" at www.craftelf.
com/Craft_elf_sewing_felt_top_hat_
sewing_instructions.htm that uses
red and white felt. Perhaps a parent
volunteer would be willing to make
these for your class.
��� Reproduce Certificates of
Participation and Appreciation.
You can download a pre-designed
certificate from our Materials area,
plus other fun things. Check it out
at www.nea. org/grants/13023.htm.
6 February 2013 DSEA ACTION!
��� Send information home to parents, along with parent reading tips
which can be found at www.nea.
org/grants/13026.htm. Some parents may offer to help, and a few
may volunteer to be guest readers.
��� Let the world know about your
plans by taking the Pledge to
Participate at www.readacross
america.org/.
��� Contact your Local Association
and let them know about your
plans. They may offer ideas and
support.
��� Explore NEA���s Read Across
America site at www.nea.org/
grants/886.htm for more ideas and
resources.
��� Put on your hats for the big
day! Enjoy your guest readers. Eat
birthday cake, drink punch, and
don't forget to sing "Happy
Birthday" to Dr. Seuss. Read, read,
read, and have fun!
www.nea.org/
ReadAcross
You can borrow
DSEA���s official Cat
in the Hat suit for
your reading
event
s a partner with NEA and
Seuss Enterprises, DSEA
was able to purchase several years ago an official, 8-foot
tall, Cat in the Hat costume.
We���d like to let all members
know that the suit is available for
borrowing, on a first-come, firstserved basis through the
Communications Dept.
If you can find someone who
doesn���t get claustrophobic inside
a costume, check out the requirements for borrowing the suit at
www.dsea.org/RAA2012/Borrow
ingCatInTheHatSuit.pdf.
If you are still interested in
borrowing the suit (which also
includes easy-to-wear Thing One
and Thing Two costumes), then
contact Susan Keller to determine if we can accommodate
your time and date. She can be
reached at 1-866-734-5834 or by
e-mail at susan.keller@dsea.org.
A
www.dsea.org
