SAUGUS– Volunteer readers from the Saugus community made their rounds at Oaklandvale Elementary School on Friday morning as apart of the school’s annual Reading Across America celebration.
Saugus Fire Chief Michael Newbury was excited to speed read some lines from Dr. Seuss’ “Green Eggs and Ham” and even more happy to be able to enjoy it with his daughter Ava’s first grade class.
Ava and some of her classmates were in the St. Patrick’s day spirit, featuring green beads and tutus, and even helped Chief Newbury read the classic rhyming book.
“I’m with my best friend,” he said. “I love it. I love having fun with the kids. I think all the town officials should do things like this.”
“It’s a special day,” first grade teacher Jen Ricciardelli said. “It brings the community in, we all get to celebrate.”
“Green Eggs and Ham” was a popular choice the day before the holiday as senior Liv McPhee and junior Ari Wadland, part of a group of about a dozen readers from Saugus High School, also read the story to a group of second graders.
“I’m involved in student council, so I get involved in a lot of activities,” McPhee said. “I just love the little kids, they’re so cute.”
After reading the story, second grade teacher Teddi Zeboski challenged the volunteers to read some Dr. Seuss tongue twisters.
Encouraged by the cheers of Zeboski’s students, they finished them with only a few stumbles, being awarded with some beads and paper Dr. Seuss hats.
While most National Read Across America events take place on March 2, Oaklandvale always partakes later according to Principal Eric Jones.
“We always do it a little later than other schools,” he said. “It helps to make time for everyone to visit us.”
High School sophomore Jenna Linehan also became a storyteller for a class of third graders at a school she once called her own.
“I love kids and I love volunteering,” she said. “This is my old school so I wanted to come back and enjoy the day.”
