Hopatcong Kids Celebrate Reading, Dr. Seuss

The Cat-in-the-Hat sure made the rounds lately in Hopatcong.

On Monday, the Dr. Seuss character visited Tulsa Trail. But earlier in the month, he brought his big cap to Durban Avenue, where he encouraged reading for Read Across America, an annual reading motivation and awareness program that calls for every child in every community to celebrate reading on March 2, according to the National Education Association.

Durban Avenue teachers Dawn Valle-Campo and Christine Kester set up the assembly, which featured a history of Dr. Seuss and a performance of "Dr. Seuss, We Love You," alongside music teacher Lucian Costanzo.

The the Cat-in-the-Hat arrived to a huge ovation, brining with him a signed copy of "The Lorax," which was placed in the Durban Avenue library collection. When The Cat exited, students sang "happy birthday," celebrating the character's 50th birthday. They later had birthday cake.

"It was an extremely enjoyable event," Principal Brian Byrne said in an email

"Read Across America and Love of Reading Week is important because it is vital that we take time as an educational system to recognize the role that reading has on the success of our children," he added in the email. "If knowledge is power than reading, both as assigned by a teacher and for enjoyment in free time, is the key to possessing that power.  We encourage our students to find topics that they enjoy and with which they have a personal connection.  Teachers motivate students to make those connections with assigned reading in school as well.  Weather a student wants to be an astronaut, carpenter, teacher, or engineer opening a book is a necessary step toward setting and achieving personal goals."