Huntington Beach officers be part of within the Read Across America enjoyable

Reading is an enormous deal at Peterson Elementary School in Huntington Beach.

As of final week, Peterson Principal Kevin Smith-Johnson mentioned that somewhat greater than 400 college students have learn 40 million phrases this faculty 12 months.

Not fairly that many phrases have been learn Friday morning, however a particular custom continued.

Peterson hosted its ninth annual Read Across America occasion, with 60 Huntington Beach metropolis officers, public security officers, neighborhood members and others visiting the college to learn to the kiddos.

“Our whole point behind it is just to create excitement and a love for literacy, a love for reading,” Smith-Johnson mentioned. “We don’t care if you’re the kid reading the book, or the adult reading to the child. It all matters, and it all just builds and builds and builds. What we hope to accomplish by having all of these community members out is just that attraction to reading, that it will be contagious to the students.”

Peterson scholar ambassadors guided the readers, in teams of two or three, round to the totally different lecture rooms. There have been three 15-minute rotations.

Readers included Huntington Beach Mayor Casey McKeon and Mayor Pro Tem Butch Twining, who shocked Smith-Johnson with a letter of commendation from town.

“It was a total surprise and very much appreciated,” Smith-Johnson mentioned. “What we do is the work of literally hundreds of people contributing to it.”

Laura Costelloe and Deanna Garza, previous PTA presidents at Peterson, are co-chairs of the college’s Read Across America occasion.

Peterson truly obtained a head begin on the studying festivities on Friday. National Read Across America week is definitely subsequent week, March 2-6, with the official day on Monday — the birthday of Dr. Seuss.

Huntington Beach City School District Supt. Leisa Winston additionally learn to the scholars Friday, alongside along with her assistant Jimmy Lambos.

“It’s really important to our kids to see our adults modeling good reading behaviors,” Winston mentioned. “We’re really showing them that the lifelong love of reading starts at the elementary level with students.”