Read Across America Week (Feb. 27 – March 3) is the nation’s largest celebration of reading. Launched in 1997 by the National Education Association, the program focuses on promoting literacy and encouraging a love of reading among children and teens. Thursday, March 2, is the official Read Across America Day because it is on Dr. Seuss’s birthday. On this day schools all around the country will be celebrating the day in all kinds of ways.

Delphi too did its part in celebrating the week. The elementary school (DCES) had a spirit week where all the days involved encouraging reading in some way, shape, or form. Monday was ¨Read My Shirt Day¨ where students were encouraged to wear a shirt that had words on it. Tuesday was ¨Reading Can Get You aHEAD¨ and was a chance for students to wear a hat. Wednesday was ¨Wacky Wednesday¨ and students had the chance to wear wacky/mismatched clothes. Thursday was ¨What a Character¨ day where students could dress as their favorite book character. Participating students had the opportunity to bring the book to school with them and walk in the character parade. Friday was ¨Reading Gives Us School Spirit¨ and students were given the chance to show off their school spirit by wearing Delphi gear or black and gold. Not only did the elementary school have a spirit week, but each classroom had at least one guest reader through the week. The guest readers were high school students, people from our community, and even parents. Then, on Thursday (Dr. Seuss’s birthday) the whole day was made special. Each classroom started the day with breakfast which they called ¨Breakfast with Books,” then after breakfast everyone at DCES sat in the hallways and had reading time together, at which time they also had the character parade. To end the week-long celebration, green eggs and ham will be served for lunch. During a big culminating event on Friday, DCES will conduct a ¨One School, One Book¨ celebration where every family in the elementary school and at Camden Early Childhood Center (CECC) will be receiving a copy of the book they will be reading through the month of March. The book was kept a secret to all students until Friday, but it has since been announced: Because of the Rabbit by Cynthia Lord. Then, finally, on April 11, DECS and CECC will have a Family Night to celebrate finishing the book.

Delphi Community High School (DCHS) and Delphi Middle School (DCMS) didn’t have quite as elaborate celebrations, but they did have small ways to recognize Read Across America week. DCMS had a challenge in their library where if any student read a book during the week, they would be given a prize of their choice. However, DCMS tries to encourage reading every day so this week was nothing too out of the ordinary. At DCHS, the main celebration of the week was when they had a Drop Everything And Read Day (DEAR Day) on Thursday. All students were invited to come to the Library Media Center (LMC) and read for 30-45 minutes. Normally the LMC hosts a DEAR day once a month on the third Tuesday of the month, but due to having Read Across America Week they decided to move it to March 2 to celebrate. The high school also sent students to CECC and DCES to read aloud to the younger student. 

The importance of reading is something schools try to share with their students all the time. Read Across America Week is just another time for school and students to spend extra time reading and appreciating all the fun and value reading provides.