Valley politicians, educators and administrators gathered at JJ Sullivan’s Feb. 25 to officially kick off “Read Across America,” an annual event that hopes to get kids reading.
The event coincides with the birthday of Dr. Seuss.
Shelton Mayor Mark Lauretti, Derby Mayor Anthony Staffieri and State Rep. Jason Perillo sat at tables adorned with “Cat in the Hat” stuffed animals and books by Dr. Seuss.
This “Read Across America” event was organized by the Early Childhood Task Force of the Valley Council of Health and Human Services.
During the event, Paul Vivian, discovery liaison for TEAM, shared his childhood tales of Theodor Seuss Geisel, the famous children’s author, who was born in Springfield, Mass.
Vivian said Geisel lived on the same street as his grandmother. He amused the crowd, telling them how the author had a strange reputation among his grandmother’s neighbors.
“He was a very strange man and I was instructed not to go to his house,” Vivian said. “On Halloween you were instructed that was the only house not to go to.”
Lauretti, Perillo and Staffieri will go to the schools and education program to read books to young students.
Lauretti planned to read to children in Lafayette Elementary School in Shelton.
“I have been doing this for years,” Lauretti said. “It is probably the better part of my job, being at elementary schools and reading to kids who are bright-eyed and bushy-tailed when you get there.”
Diane Brancato, readiness coordinator for Ansonia schools, spoke of the need for more books at the preschool and in the children’s homes.
Brancato said that the district’s preschool program is planning a literacy workshop starting in March that will encourage parents to read to their children. Each parent will receive a book to take home to read to their child.