American Heritage Charter School celebrates ‘Read Across America Day’
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IDAHO FALLS — “Read Across America Day” is being celebrated in schools across the country Tuesday and American Heritage Charter School wants it to be a day students will long remember.
Teachers and kids dressed up as their favorite book characters and are spending the day reading in their classrooms with special guests sharing stories virtually or in-person.
“We have a dinosaur reading in the library, princesses, a superhero, George Washington, Idaho Falls Mayor Rebecca Casper, a fireman reading in English and Spanish, a sheriff’s deputy, Nate Eaton from East Idaho News and Darth Vader,” school administrator Tiffnee Hurst says. “We want to create a memorable day for the kids.”
Danae Reed works at the school and began planning for “Read Across America Day” in January. She and other employees came up with the idea to hold a costume and door-decorating contest for teachers plus prizes for students, including ringing the bell that sits on top of American Heritage.
“I just wanted to bring sunshine to our school this year. It’s been a tough year – not just for us, but everyone,” Reed says. “I just wanted to do something fun and if you can get kids to love reading, that’s the ultimate goal.”
“Read Across America Day” was first launched in 1998 by the National Education Association as a way to encourage children to read. School districts across the country celebrate in different ways and American Heritage plans to continue their fun tradition for years to come.
“When you look back at your education, you remember those special days. You remember the day you had a poetry read or the day you had a special art project,” Hurst says. “We want to make sure these kids have some memorable days – especially this year.”
