Role models on the gridiron and in the classroom - PB football players celebrate reading

What better way to encourage reading in our younger students than to have some of the people they admire read to them! That happened on Thursday here in Pine Bush, which was Read Across America Day, a day schools across the nation celebrate reading and the adventures it brings to students.

Two high school students wearing white football jerseys stand with a little elementary student who is holding up a dr. Seuss book.

A class full of younger elementary students sit on the floor behind a high school boy lying on the floor wearing odd shaped sunglasses and a white football jersey.

This year in Pine Bush, we had something extra special on this reading celebration day – 21 members of our football team broke into groups of five and six, and visited each elementary school, reading children’s classics to our younger students. Most of the football players visited the elementary schools they attended and had a great time visiting with their former teachers and administrators.

A high school student wearing a white football jersey sits in front of a group of young elementary kids and reads to them.

Two high school students wearing white football jerseys sit in front of a group of young elementary kids and read to them.

It was the joy in the faces of the younger students, though, that made this event so worthwhile. They were thrilled to have these special guests read to them and encourage them to read on their own.

A high school student wearing a white football jersey sits with a group of young elementary kids after reading to them.

PBHS varsity football coach Rich Ormsby said this was the first year the team participated in the Read Across America event, and he hopes it will continue. “It was a win-win,” said Coach Ormsby. “The players had a great time and so did the little kids. The teachers really enjoyed seeing their former students come by and read for their current students. It was a terrific experience for all.”

A class full of young elementary students smiles and a high school kid in his football jersey sits with them .

A high school student wearing a white football jersey that says Pine Bush with the number 4 on it smiles broadly as a young elementary student stands next to him, standing on a large box. Both are smiling.

After the fun readings, the younger students asked the high school students about football and high school. The football players had a great time fielding questions and asking some of their own, like what the little ones enjoy reading and what they want to be when they grow up.

Twenty-one high school football players, all wearing white jerseys, stand together in front of a building.

National Read Across America Day falls on March 2, which is the birthday of Theodor Seuss Geisel, also known as Dr. Seuss, the children’s author and cartoonist. He wrote and illustrated more than 60 books, many of which are some of the most popular children’s books of all time.

To view many more photos from this event, go to our Facebook page. Be sure to like us and follow us!

PBHS Football Player Guest Readers

Shane Woznick
Triston Santos
Ed Morely
Jayden Aracena
Elon Zanetti
Robert Lawrence
Patrick Curran
Max Cedeno
Joey Rivera
Ryan Vargas
Jake Slovitzky
Chance Bennett
Manny Hannon
Alexander Cloke
Erick Lockward
Ethan Bray
Sully Toback
Matt Boffalo
Marc Cancelliere
Greg Florin
Jed Rose

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Role models on the gridiron and in the classroom – PB football players celebrate reading

PBHS Football Player Guest Readers