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Schools

Local Superintendent Channels Inner Dr. Seuss

Indian Prairie School District 204 celebrated Read Across America Day this past week.

Kids at got to celebrate a birthday on Wednesday. But not just any birthday — it was that of Dr. Seuss himself.

The Cat in the Hat took center stage at the celebration which is now recognized as Read Across America Day. The national day is meant to keep Seuss' legacy of learning alive, school officials said. Born on March 2, 1904, the reknown author died in September 1991 at the age of 87, according to the official Website of Dr. Seuss.

And what better way to honor his memory than to gather children together to read?

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Kids at Owen sported all the expected Cat in the Hat garb, but most commonly, knock-offs of the red and white striped hat.

Superintendent Kathy Birkett also took part in festivities. She donned the iconic hat while reading I am NOT Going to Get Up Today to a second grade class. 

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"Reading is so important for kids because it is the base of everything we do," Birkett said. "It is the cornerstone of getting them prepared for everything they do in life."

Other guest readers for the day included Val Dranias, president of the Indian Prairie Education Association and Owen Wavrinek, a former longtime school board member and namesake for the school. 

After Birkett read to the class, the second graders presented her with a book they wrote and titled The Places You Can Read, based on the Seuss classic, Oh, the Places You'll Go!

The students had drawn the illustration themselves and shared their favorite places to read in the classic rhyming style.

"You can read in the dark and hear a dog bark..." read one line. Other clever quips included, "You can read in the dark with a light. It makes reading just right!" and, "You can read in the snow while drinking hot cocoa."

The storytelling session wrapped up with a question and answer session with Birkett and a high energy game of freeze dance.

"I love reading, learning new things and going into the other worlds in the stories," said Henry, a second grade student. 

His classmate, Alexis, agreed.

"My favorite books are the A to Z Mystery Series," she said. "I love reading them and the adventures I can take using my imagination."

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