Staff report

The Cat in the Hat is back for the eighth straight year, and to celebrate Read Across America, so is the Education Association of Suffolk’s tribute to the fundamental skill of reading.

&uot;Reading is not only essential to success, it’s fun too,&uot; said EAS President Robert Butler, Jr. &uot;We invite parents and all concerned adults in our community to join us.

Get involved – and take time out to read with students on March 2nd, because ‘that’s where it’s hat!’

This year, March 2nd falls on a Wednesday, but celebrations will be held all week in communities across the nation. The Education Association of Suffolk urges each of the schools in the city of Suffolk to hold their own observance of Read Across America.

Read Across America has been celebrated in a big way across the Commonwealth for the past seven years.

Events have included sailors wearing the signature red and white hats on Norfolk-based U.S. Navy ships reading to students onboard ship, Virginia Military Institute cadets donning Cat in the Hat headgear to read to students, television spots featuring Virginia Tech football players promoting reading, proclamations from the General Assembly in Richmond and hundreds of reading events in classrooms, libraries, shopping malls and community centers across the state.

&uot;All events, big and small, have just one goal&uot; says Butler, &uot;and that is to show children how much value we adults put on reading.

There’s no better way than to take the pledge to read with a child on March 2nd to celebrate the joy of reading for Dr. Seuss’s birthday.&uot; To emphasize the importance of reading and to promote the value of a life-long love of the skill to young people, the National Education Association launched the Read Across America program in 1998.

March 2nd was chosen because it is the anniversary of the birthday of the late, great children’s author Dr. Seuss, (Theodor Geisel).

Together with Seuss enterprises, the NEA has made The Cat in the Hat the national symbol of Read Across America.

The Cat has made appearances at reading celebrations across the nation.

Along with the National Education Association, its state and local affiliates and Seuss Enterprises read Across America partners include the American Library Association, the Library of Congress, National Institute for Literacy, the National PTA, Public Broadcasting Service, Saturn/UAW, the National Football League and Major League Soccer.

Contact Robert Butler at King’s Fork Middle School at 925-5750 for more information.