WEST ORANGE, NJ - The West Orange School District celebrated Dr. Seuss's birthday and Read Across America week in a big way.

Assemblies, crazy hat and sock days, pajama parties, videos, songs, guest readers and books – lots of books – were the norm in all seven West Orange Elementary schools and the Betty Maddalena Early Learning Center as Read Across America week was celebrated.

The week of March 2 began with a series of fun activities to generate enthusiasm for reading in grades K-5. Begun in 1997 by the National Education Association, Read Across America was created to “motivate children to read, an important factor in student achievement and creating lifelong successful readers.” 

March 2, the birthday of Theodor Geisel, aka Dr. Suess, is celebrated as Read Across America Day. Dr. Suess, whose storied career writing children’s books began in 1937 with “And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry  Street,” to his last in 1990, “Oh The Places You’ll Go,” has reached generations of children, promoted literacy, and sold over 600 million books. Fittingly, Dr. Seuss’s books played a large role in the elementary school’s events.

The district also had some very special guest readers during the week, including Senator Bob Menendez, Assemblyman John McKeon, Mayor Rob Parisi, and Councilperson Sue McCartney. Superintendent Dr. Scott Cascone even donned his construction hat to read a bilingual book.

See all the photos here.