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By Katrina Margolis
Hometown Weekly Reporter
Last week was National Read Across America Day, but the Wheelock School took it a step further, celebrating reading for an entire week. Highlights included book character dress up day, crazy hat and socks day, and last, but not least, Definition Day. On Tuesday, all Wheelock students participated in a parade around the school, each accompanied by a hat with a word, its definition, and a representation of the meaning.
The Wheelock Reads committee began Definition Day last year. After being met with an overwhelming amount of excitement and enthusiasm, the school decided to celebrate reading and Dr. Seuss – the focus of Read Across America day – for an entire week. Bethany Robertson, Librarian, chairs the reading committee. Wheelock celebrates reading even more during Wheelock Reads week, which takes place in April. “Last year we kind of did it all together, and this year we’re separating and scaling down. It’s a little more focused by spreading it out,” Robertson explained. Wheelock Reads was created in memory of a student who passed away nearly 14 years ago. That week features baseball spirit day, reading at the beach day, and a day when local authors come to speak to the students.
However, the focus of last Tuesday were the definitions. “I’ve seen some amazing hats!” Luanne Monahan said. “The silhouette hat, it’s amazing! And the extravagant hat - for a second, I thought there was real money all over it. When the mom brought it in, I said, 'What are you doing?!' She said, 'That’s not real! If it were real, it wouldn’t leave my house.'”
While some students stuck to the traditional hat, others went all out, creating full body costumes for themselves. “I love how some of the words match the kids’ personalities,” Library aide, Amanda Spears, said. “That girl chose luminous, and she really is!” For the most part, the words were chosen by the children themselves.
Definition Day was just one in a series of exciting and energetic events that celebrate reading. Even Wheelock’s newly acquired service dog, Franklin, got into the spirit, donning a police hat to demonstrate the definition of a police dog. If this enthusiasm for reading continues, the students of Wheelock are primed to succeed in all aspects of life.
