Neshannock Elementary Celebrates Read Across America

On March 2, 2017, students at Neshannock Memorial Elementary School celebrated Dr. Seuss’s birthday during Read Across America (RAA).  The celebration was organized by Westminster Alumna Kristi Joseph Perrotta ’97/’00.  Read Across America is a national reading celebration focused on Dr. Seuss's birthday.  For more information visit: http://www.nea.org/grants/61668.htm.

This year’s RAA kick-off program took place in the classrooms while watching a YouTube video created by student teachers.  Student teachers from Westminster College (Mandy Magnotti ‘17, Caity Kourokos ’17 and Amber Laitinen ’17) created a video for Neshannock children and families to introduce the week-long festivities.

The RAA has been celebrated several different ways over the past few years at Neshannock Memorial Elementary School.   There have been school-wide kick-off assemblies, flash mobs, guest readers such as the "Cat in the Hat,” and school-wide Read-A-Thons with prizes such as Mini I-pads and Barnes and Noble gift cards.  There have been specially named lunches, buddy-reading, and most importantly a K-4 family reading and math night.

“Read Across America is a very positive and motivating experience for the students and staff,” says Kristi Perrotta, 2nd grade teacher at Neshannock Elementary. “Last year's celebration was our biggest to date!”

Perrotta was inspired to bring the school-wide Read Across America celebration to Neshannock because she was on the RAA planning committee in the Hermitage School District. Over the past few years, Perrotta has met with the RAA committee and student teachers to help plan the RAA celebration.

After graduating from Westminster College in 1997 with her BA in Elementary Education, Perrotta later earned her M.Ed. from the Reading Specialist program in 2000. “I am proud to be a graduate of Westminster College,” adds Perrotta. “I love knowing that professors I had 20 years ago still remember me by name and are genuinely interested in the paths I have taken in my life.

Perrotta has been teaching for 18 years.  She was a Title I Reading Specialist for 17 years. After spending the first 9 years of her career in the Hermitage School District, Perrotta has spent the past 9 years at Neshannock.   This is her first year as a second-grade classroom teacher.  Her advice to future educators is to teach their students with respect, challenge them to do their best, and always try to differentiate when possible.

For more information, contact Dr. Charlene Klassen Endrizzi at endrizck@westminster.edu or 724-946-7189.

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