Community leaders pass reading bug to students

Air Force Senior Airman Andrew Mossholder of Frederick County reads “The Lorax” by Dr. Seuss to first-graders at Frederick Douglass. Dressed as Dr. Seuss characters Thing 1 and Thing 2 are teachers Erika Luera (left) and Kasee Taylor.

Frederick Douglass Elementary School celebrated Read Across America and the birthday of Dr. Seuss Friday by having guests from the community read to students. Preschooler Jackson Stock, 3, dressed as The Cat in the Hat when he paid a visit to his mother Amy at the school. Amy Stock is a third-grade teacher there. Ned Stock, Jackson’s father, is holding his hand. (Photo by Jeff Taylor/The Winchester Star)

Winchester School Board member Mary Margaret Wise reads to second-graders at Frederick Douglass Elementary School in celebration of Read Across America Week Friday. (Photo by Jeff Taylor/The Winchester Star)

WINCHESTER — Students at Frederick Douglass Elementary School had a chance to share their love for reading with a few “celebrities” from the community on Friday.

The event was the culmination of a weeklong celebration to promote reading through various spirit activities, including a pajamas day and a mismatched-sock day, in observance of Read Across America Week and Dr. Seuss’s birthday, which is today.

From 8 to 10 a.m. Friday, community leaders visited the school to read some of their favorite books to students.

“It’s a great opportunity for the community folks to share their love of literacy and for the children to see reading is fun for everybody, no matter what age you are,” said Principal Stephanie Downey.

The celebrity readers included Schools Superintendent Rick Leonard and other administrators, Mayor Elizabeth Minor, former Washington Redskins kicker Mark Moseley, School Board members, military representatives, former Frederick Douglass principal Nancy Lee, Shenandoah University football and baseball players, and representatives from Sweet Frog Premium Frozen Yogurt and Chick-fil-A.

Gretchen Homan and Ashley Sborz, the school’s reading specialists, organized the event, hoping to emphasize for the students that reading can be fun.

“When people from the community read, it seems more realistic to them,” Sborz said.

Homan said the event is one of the ways to reach children before it’s too late. “Studies show that if they’re not reading by third grade, they probably will not become a reader.”

School Board member Mary Margaret Wise read “Princess Pigtoria and The Pea” to a class of second-graders.

“It was really good,” student Emerson Ferguson said of the book.

Emma Westfall enjoyed the story and said she loves reading. “It’s really fun. It teaches you new things you probably never learned before.”

Emerson said he loves chapter books — intended for intermediate readers — and sometimes must tell people to be quiet while he is reading so he can concentrate.

“I don’t want to miss my parts,” he said.

— Contact Rebecca Layne at rlayne@winchesterstar.com