March 6, 2008

Nancy Pyle visits Carson Elementary

Celebrates Read Across America

San Jose’s District 10 Councilmember Nancy Pyle visited two classes at Carson Elementary School on Monday, March 3 to help the students in Mrs. Williamson’s and Mrs. Orias’s third grade classes celebrate “Read Across America.”

San Jose’s District 10 Councilmember Nancy Pyle visited two classes at Carson Elementary School on Monday, March 3 to help the students in Mrs. Williamson’s and Mrs. Orias’s third grade classes celebrate “Read Across America.”

“I always enjoy attending these types of events. Taking the opportunity to visit students in our community and emphasize the importance of reading and learning is always incredibly rewarding,” Pyle said.

She visited both classrooms early Monday morning, reading the children’s story “Zen Ties” by author John J. Muth and answering questions about what it means to be a city councilmember. The goal of this annual reading motivation and awareness program is to call for every child in every community to celebrate reading on or around Dr. Seuss's birthday. While Seuss’s birthday is on March 2, in 2008 officially Read Across America was celebrated on Monday.

In 1997 a small reading task force at the National Education Foundation came up with a big idea. The group decided to create a day, which would celebrate reading and decided the ideal day to celebrate reading was obviously on Dr. Seuss's birthday. Since 1998, the NEA’s Read Across America has marked the largest celebration of reading ever documented in the United States. NEA's Read Across America also provides NEA members, parents, caregivers and children the resources and activities they need to keep reading on the calendar 365 days a year.

According to the NEA’s Web site, “In cities and towns across the nation, teachers, teenagers, librarians, politicians, actors, athletes, parents, grandparents and others develop NEA's Read Across America activities to bring reading excitement to children of all ages. Governors, mayors and other elected officials recognize the role reading plays in their communities with proclamations and floor statements. Athletes and actors even issue reading challenges to young readers.”

“The children in both classrooms were so bright and eager to listen and learn. The city of San Jose has so many fantastic schools and it was truly a pleasure to spend the morning sharing my own joy of reading with some fantastic young people,” Pyle said.

For more information regarding Read Across America, visit http://www.nea.org/readacross/faq.html or contact Eric T. Crane in the District 10 office at (408) 535-4993.