Evergreen reading

Christine Carrillo

With a bounty of green eggs and ham -- on crackers -- students at

Eastbluff Elementary School celebrated the 99th birthday of famed

children’s book author Dr. Seuss on Monday as part of Read Across

America 2003.

The event, started by the National Education Assn. six years ago,

not only celebrated the birthday of Dr. Seuss but also worked toward

promoting literacy by encouraging adults to read to children and help

them improve their academic performance.

“We’ve encouraged everybody to celebrate reading,” said Susan

Despenas, assistant supt. of elementary education for the district.

Reading “is a skill that must be taught, supported and sustained.”

Each school got to chose how they wanted to celebrate the

nationwide event.

For Eastbluff Elementary, the celebration included having parents

reading to different classes, as well as two school-wide readings by

the principal herself.

Reading her favorite Dr. Seuss book, “Green Eggs and Ham,”

Eastbluff Principal Charlene Metoyer got the chance to share her

passion for reading and show the students that reading defies age.

“She had a lot of expression in her voice and on her face,” said

10-year-old Jenna Chatillon, a fifth-grader at the school. “We really

get into the story by eating green eggs and ham.”

Although the Seuss-inspired snack sparked the students’ interests,

keeping their attention was another task that proved difficult, yet

well-worth it.

“The purpose of this is to show how much fun reading can be and

how it doesn’t stop when you grow up,” Metoyer said. “It just

highlights the importance of reading ... and that reading permeates

every part of our life.”

The students seemed to have already learned that lesson.

“I love to read because it’s better than watching TV,” said

9-year-old Hailey Senske, a fourth-grader at Eastbluff. “You have to

think and you have to build the pictures.”

Many of her classmates agreed.

“Reading is so fun,” said 9-year-old Ashley Svendsen. “It builds

up the imagination.”

Just as children show an interest in reading, Read Across America

strives to encourage parents to show and interest too.

“Nothing can replace reading a book,” Despenas said. “It’s really

a wonderful opportunity for everybody.”

* CHRISTINE CARRILLO covers education and may be reached at (949)

574-4268 or by e-mail at christine.carrillo@latimes.com.