The Friends and Volunteers continued the longstanding tradition of gifting each Primary School student with a book in celebration of NEA’s yearly Read Across America project.
You’re never too old, too wacky, too wild, to pick up a book and read to a child. Dr. Seuss
A grade-appropriate book is selected for students in HeadStart, Pre-K through 3 in the Ocean City Primary School. The books are given to the children on Read Across America Day/Dr. Seuss’s birthday, March 2. Various members of the community participate in reading to the students in their classroom.
Dr. Seuss’ Birthday marks— a —time to assemble, deliver, and read to the students at the Ocean City Primary School. The Friends and Volunteers of the Ocean City Free Public Library meet to lovingly stuff bags with books for each student. We hope all students develop the love of reading for learning & for pleasure!
Many schools in thecountry celebrate Read Across America
in honor of the birthday of Dr. Theodor Seuss Geisel—better known as Dr. Seuss. Read Across America began in 1997 as a way to celebrate Reading! Each year The Friends and Volunteers of the Ocean City Free Public Library (F&V)—along with community members—look forward to reading to K-3 Ocean City Primary School and Head Start students.
The F&V Read Across America BackStory…
This beloved F&V project requires lots of planning, coordination, and teamwork. Reading to the children is the highlight, but would not be possible without…
- Collaborating with the Ocean City Free Public Library (OCFPL)…Children’s Librarian, Leslie Clarke & F&V member, Kathleen Woodring, select books (different titles for each grade & Head Start)
- Ordering and receiving the books…funds come from F&V book sales
- Creating and copying letters to parents
- Gathering the bookmarks and book bags donated by the OCFPL
- Making Nameplates for each book
- Dividing books into grade levels, and then sub-dividing them into classrooms.
- Gathering grocery bags and boxes to hold the books as well as make the delivery to the school & classrooms so much easier…
- Volunteers—under the direction of Kathleen Woodring, Read Across America Chairperson—met at the OCFPL to…
- Place a nameplate into each book
- Place the letter to Parents and a bookmark inside each book
- Put a prepared book into a book bag
- Put the number of book bags needed for each classroom into a grocery bag marked with the name of the teacher and the number of students
- Place the classroom-ready bags into a larger box, and then…
- Transport the boxes for eventual delivery to the school.
To learn more about the Reading Tree Committee Responsibilties see below.
Read Across America Committee
Read Across America is a nationwide celebration of Dr. Seuss, children’s literature, and the joy of reading. It takes place annually on the date of Dr. Seuss’s birthday, March 2, or the closest school day to that date. The Friends and Volunteers join in the celebration by providing a children’s book for each student attending the Ocean City Primary School, Pre-School to Grade Three. We enlist members of the Friends &Volunteers and our local community to read aloud in each Primary School classroom on the date of the national celebration.
The goal of the committee is to promote and support literacy and the joys of reading in our youngest community members as well as to allow the adult readers the pleasure of sharing books with children.
Friends and Volunteers 