Dr. Suess Celebrated at Watchung
A sampling of some of the doors decorated in honor of Dr. Seuss books.
On March 2, Watchung celebrated Dr. Seuss’s birthday and Read Across America with special guests who came to the elementary school to visit classrooms and read to the students and an assembly featuring Dr. Seuss’ most famous character, The Cat in the Hat.
Visitors included staff from Central Office, members of the community, Montclair BOE and the Montclair Police and Fire Departments.
Montclair Deputy Police Chief Tracy Frazzano volunteered, she said, “because (the Police Department) likes to be involved.” But Frazzano said it was more personal for her. Frazzano is a graduate of Rutgers University New Brunswick where she was a member of the softball team. Part of the team’s community outreach was to spend time reading to children. “When this opportunity presented itself, it was like a flashback,” she said. “I was glad to be part of something positive then and I’m glad I can be part of it now.”
Left: Montclair Deputy Police Chief Frazzano brought the Dr. Seuss book “I Can Read with My Eyes Shut! to read to second graders.
Right: BOE members Franklin Turner, Eve Robinson, Anne Mernin and Laura Hertzog took time to read to students. Hertzog (pictured) fielded lots of curious questions from her class before reading her selection.
In addition to the Read In, the school participated in a door decorating contest celebrating reading and Dr. Seuss. “The contest encourages students to become more motivated to read, to be creative in finding a way to bring a book to life and to engage and involve all of our students, said curriculum support teacher Birdean Clinton, who will serve as judge of the contest along with curriculum support teacher Sandra McKnight, media specialist Mary Anne Arnold, student assistance counselor Debra Polizzano and art teacher Eleanor Cavallo.
Left: Albert Pelham, director of the Montclair Neighborhood Development Corp. and president of the Montclair chapter of the NAACP read “Stone Soup,” by Jon J. Muth to his classroom.
Right: Even Principal Anthony Grosso took time out of his busy day to stop by a classroom to read.