Did you hear a Who on Monday? Or, did you have green eggs and ham for lunch? Students throughout Pike County probably did, as they kicked off “Read Across America” week.

In honor of the late Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, students across the county will be spending the week reading and learning more about the late author with dozens of activities throughout week.

Goshen Elementary librarian Susan Renfroe said celebrating a week’s worth of reading is only part of the goal. “The desire to read is just so important,” Renfroe said. “It’s going to take them places that they’ll have no other chance to go to find information, to visit far off places, to develop imagination.”

Goshen Elementary Principal Wanda Corley said she had to give her librarian a pat on the back because of the tremendous work she has been able to do for Read Across America and for being able to get students interested in reading.

“She used to be a reading coach, and she really tries to make reading a top priority at our school,” Corley said. “We are never too old to read, we are never too old to have some fun and there is time in school for us to stop and have some fun, and this is our week that we really, really do that. She does an excellent job that’s collaborative of us working together and us planning for the kids to have a really, really fun week.”

Corley also praised Renfroe for reading to her students almost every day. Renfroe said the reason she often read to her students was because she knew most did not have some reading to them when they went home at night.

“Alot of our children do not have someone at home to read to them so they don’t get that joy of hearing a story read to them,” Renfroe said. “That kind of gives them somebody to model after. It’s a big thing for us, we love to read here at this school and I’m really pleased with that.”

Corely said that although Read Across America week activities would garner more interest from students, Goshen students remained excited about reading throughout the year.

“We start day one in August and we do a lot of celebrations all through the year,” Corley said. “The teachers, administration, everybody works so hard here to provide good role models about reading for our children. It’s a top priority and our children know how important reading is to their life.”

Pike Liberal Arts welcomed guest readers Brundidge Mayor Jimmy Ramage and Christy Wilson, compliance officer at First National Bank, and Headmaster Becky Baggett said the school was thrilled to have them both because students were more attentive to visitors.

“The kids are excited just to have different personalities come in and read to them,” Baggett said. “They see us all the time, so when we have people like Troy Mayor Jason Reeves or Brundidge Mayor Ramage and other special guests it’s just exciting to them.”

Baggett said seeing adults like Wilson reading encouraged students to continue reading.

“The students were altogether excited, today,” Baggett said. “You could hear them as she read to them getting to different parts of the story. They got into it. They laughed and they cheered in different places of the story. It just brings the story more to life for them, and seeing us as adults reading it encourages them even more.”

Schools within Pike County will be participating in daily Read Across America events, and Corley said it was always a fun week for students and teachers alike.

“It is a fun week,” Corley said. “We have a lot of guest readers coming in. We’re doing something every day. Friday will be our big day with cupcakes and trivia. It’s a great week full of celebration.”

At Covenant Christian School, athletes from Troy University read to students. And at Troy Elementary School, dozens of guest readers visited the classrooms, including Troy Mayor Jason Reeves and senior cheerleaders and athletes from Charles Henderson High School.

Today, Troy Elementary School will be participating in their “All Out for Reading” day, having activities outside all day. Pike County Elementary School and Pike Liberal Arts School will be wearing crazy socks. Banks Primary School’s theme is Wear Green Day for “Green Eggs & Ham.” Students at Goshen Elementary will dress as their favorite book characters.

Wednesday, TES will be wearing crazy socks. GES, Banks, PCES and PLAS will have a wacky Wednesday, wearing tacky clothes.

Thursday, TES will participate in random acts of kindness, PLAS will wear green like The Grinch, PCES will wear fishing gear, Banks will wear crazy socks and GES will wear crazy hats.

Friday, TES will dress as their favorite book characters, PLAS will wear red and white, PCES will wear green, Banks and GES will wear pajamas and Covenant Christian will dress up as their favorite Dr. Seuss characters.