PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — The University of Maine at Presque Isle and local elementary schools recently collaborated for the March 2 Read Across America Day/Dr. Seuss Day event, when 25 UMPI readers volunteered to read a Dr. Seuss book to an elementary classroom.
Ten staff and faculty readers joined 15 students as they took their “act” on the road for youngsters at Pine Street and Zippel elementary schools in Presque Isle, along with Mapleton Elementary and Washburn Elementary.
University of Maine at Presque Isle student and Owls women’s basketball player Ines Ngoga reads “Horton Hatches the Egg” to some local elementary school students during Read Across America/Dr. Seuss day March 2. (Courtesy of Luke Cameron)
Readers Deborah Roark and Amanda Baker got their “Lorax” on; Rachel Rice was “Fox in Soxing”; Melanie Griffin was “Yertle the Turtling”; Terry Wood animatedly “Cat in Hatted” for some 1st grade students; Alana Margeson had a “Wocket in her Pocket”; Jennifer Deschene told of “Bart and the Oobleck”; and Kevin McCartney got behind the literary mule and plowed for two classes (“Green Eggs and Hamming” it up with both) to the delight of the audience.
Delanie Strout and Lexi Allcock told some first-graders of “The Places They’ll Go”; Cynthia Figueroa regaled some pre-K’ers; Lisa Pucci “Saw it on Mulberry Street”; Ines Ngoga and Sage Roling helped “Horton Hatch the Egg”; Wendi Malenfant transformed into the mischievous “Cat in the Hat”; Ayana Walker was the starter with a book, Brianna Losee was brought on in relief with another book, and Sara Packard closed with another for a class.
Alexandra DesRuisseaux put fifth-graders to “Sleep” with her book (in a good way); John Harrington dropped some ill rhymes talking about what he’d do “If He Ran the Circus”; Dianna Poulin told of “Bart and the 500 Hats”; Dominic Kane “Heard a Who”; Matthew Theriault “Gertrude McFuzzed”; Ashley Kirkland spoke some Seuss to third-graders; and Maddi Thweatt expressed her sincere “Birthday” wishes to a class of fourth-grade students.
UMPI’s Carol McGlinn, Shara Page, Carolyn Dorsey, Nicole Fournier, Dan Kane, Kathryn Higgins and Don Sirois helped organize the effort.
