RICHMOND – At Dear Elementary, teachers and staff strive to show students that reading is more than a skill learned in school.

“Reading is a gift that enables us to discover new facts, travel to faraway lands, enjoy a heartwarming story and learn how others handle adversity in life,” Dear teacher Lisa Thacker wrote.

In honor of National Read Across America Week, Feb. 28 through March 4, students and staff celebrated the thrill of reading.

“Everyone was encouraged to join the action with a book-themed spirit week,” Thacker wrote. “Meeting a student or staff member in pajamas for Dr. Seuss’s ‘Sleep Book,’ crazy socks for “Fox in Sox,” brilliant blue for ‘One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish,’ festive green for ‘Green Eggs and Ham,’ and a hat for ‘The Cat in the Hat’ reminded us all that we are never too young or old to pick up a book and read.

The ability to read is important to humans for many reasons. Here are some of the insightful reasons why a few students at Dear Elementary enjoy reading and find it important…

“I like to read silly books.” – Levi Adkison

“I like that it gives you information.” – Owen Johnson

“I learn stuff when I read.” – Colt Herdman

“I like that when the puppies get lost, their family finds them.” – Weston O’Dell

“I like when my mom and dad read to me before I go to bed.” – KC Clay

“I like to read ‘I Can Read’ books by myself.” – Kinlee Bates

“Reading makes me happy and fall asleep faster.” – Paige Quick

“I like to get knowledge from history. I like the ‘Bad Guy’ books. They crack me up.” – Rhett Hamilton

“I love spelling the words, and the pictures in the book.” – Liam Darnell “You get to learn.” – Hensley King

“Reading is important because when you are older, you need to understand stuff for your job.” – Adeline Knutter

“It is important to learn to read. And it’s fun to read because you learn more stuff.” – Daxton Reinwald

Throughout the week, teachers, staff and students took advantage of finding ways to celebrate reading. Some of the celebrations included dropping everything to read for 10 minutes, bringing in favorite books to talk about with friends, listening to “Green Eggs and Ham” and getting to reflect on why reading is important.

“Dear Elementary challenges each of you to find some time soon to pick up a book and read. You never know where it will take you,” Thacker wrote.