Happy birthday doctor

Suzie Harrison

He had a tail, whiskers and the likeness of a cat, in fact he was a

cat, a cat with red necktie and a red and white stripped hat -- he

was the Cat in the Hat. At least for the day last Monday, Top of the

World Principal Ron LaMott was dressed as the world’s favorite

literary cat in celebration of Dr. Seuss’ 99th birthday, which was

done as part of the National Education Assn’s. “Read Across America”

program.

“The reason we celebrate Dr. Seuss’ birthday is because he has

devoted his life to books like these so you can learn to read ...

because learning to read is the most important thing you can learn to

do,” LaMott said.

Each grade went into the multi-purpose room for an assembly about

the importance of reading and hearing a Dr. Seuss book being read by

the Cat in the Hat.

“I think Dr. Seuss’ stories are very funny,” Birch Weber, 8, said.

“I like that his stories are like not so real. They have funny little

things that definitely won’t be true, I like the funniness that he

writes.”

Some of the students were dressed in pajamas as part of the day

dedicated for reading. LaMott said it was to stress a point about

being comfortable with reading and to make it a fun day.

“This is the first time we’ve done this,” LaMott said. “We had

pajama day to encourage warm and cozy reading in the classrooms.”

Terry Hardison is the reading teacher at Top of the World and said

that last year the students read a combined million and a half pages.

“This year we challenged them that by the end of the school year,

they would read 2 million,” Hardison said. “We put a lot of emphasis

on reading here and the students spend at least a half hour every day

silently reading.”

Once a month the school has a flag ceremony in tandem with the

level of reading the students have reached.

“We also have school-wide reading programs called Bear Club,”

Hardison said. “Parents interview the kids, they actually talk to an

adult about what they’ve read to show what they’ve learned.”

When the next grade came to see the Cat in the Hat, he explained

that he got a call from Principal LaMott that woke him up. LaMott

pleaded with him to come to the school to read a story to them.

“We’re celebrating a famous man’s birthday today,” the Cat in the

Hat said. “Dr. Seuss invented me and a whole lot of other people and

stories.”

The kids were involved with the story and would chime in, in

unison the parts that they knew.

“It is great that it is Dr. Seuss’ birthday,” Natasha Strickland,

9, said. “He made all these books so I can read, I like all of them.

I like to read and like all the words that I learn.”

* SUZIE HARRISON is a reporter for the Laguna Beach Coastline

Pilot. She may be reached at 494-4321 or [email protected].