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By Robert Sullivan

CLEMMONS — Clemmons Elementary School participated in the Read Across America Week last week, an annual celebration of reading that aims to encourage students throughout the country to read and educate them on their benefits. As part of the drive, the school invited readers from throughout the community, including local author Tricia Torrible and Clemmons Mayor Mike Rogers.

Read Across America Week is part of the National Education Association’s Read Across America drive and begins every year with Read Across America Day on March 2, the anniversary of Dr. Seuss’ birthday.

As part of the local portion of the drive, Clemmons Elementary brought together different community leaders to read to and speak with their students.

“They look up to their civic leaders and they want to hear from us, they want to ask us questions,” said Rogers.

Rogers made stops at the school on March 4 and 6, reading with and speaking to first, third and fifth grade classes. He said he would have loved to have been at the school every day, but meetings and other work made that impossible.

“Some of what they ask are definitely very cute questions, but they are very intelligent kids,” said Rogers.

He added that he was contacted ahead of the event by the school’s media coordinator, and jumped at the opportunity to work with the children that make up “the future of our community.”

“They have excellent leadership. They have great teachers. They have great staff and they have great education there,” said Rogers.

Rogers was far from the only Clemmons official to be there. Other readers included members of the Clemmons Fire Department, Torrible and other leaders and community representatives from throughout the area.

The NEA started Read Across America in 1998 as a year-long celebration of the benefits of reading with hopes of inspiring more students to pick up books in their free time. The United States Department of Education, in long-term trend assessments, has recognized a continual decline in the amount of children, especially 13 and under, who regularly “read for fun.”

While the NEA no longer features Dr. Seuss’ books as the primary reading material nationwide, the organization still utilizes his birthday as the jumping off point for the year’s special week-long celebration due to the popularity and power of his books in promoting childhood reading.

An estimated 45 million people participate nationwide, according to a release from NEA, making the week the largest reading celebration in the United States.

“Through books, (children) not only discover their own voices but also learn to appreciate the rhythm of others’ stories and lived experiences—one book, one story, and one song at a time,” NEA President Becky Pringle is quoted as saying in the release.