Irvington Students Celebrate World Read Aloud Day

IRVINGTON, NY — Dows Lane Elementary School and Main Street School students connected with local authors, journalists and school district and community officials during the annual World Read Aloud Day on Feb. 2. Each of the special guest readers read a book aloud to the students that related to a character-building theme.

The guests read “All Emotions Matter” by Sreekanth Kumar, Chakra Sreekanth and Sashi Sreekanth to all Dows Lane Elementary School students and talked about validating all of their emotions. The students will connect with the book’s author during a virtual assembly next week.

The guests read “Change Sings” by Amanda Gorman and “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind” by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer to all Main Street School students and discussed what it means to be a maker of change.

Dows Lane Principal Dr. Andrea Kantor and Main Street School Principal Joyce Chapnick said they were thrilled that the K-5 students participated in the event, thanks to the support of the PTSA. The World Read Aloud Day was designed to raise awareness of the importance of access to literacy worldwide.

Among the readers were Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kristopher Harrison, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Human Resources Dr. Gail Duffy, Irvington Middle School Principal David Sottile, Irvington High School Principal Juliet Gevargis-Mizimakoski, retired Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Human Resources Raina Kor, as well as local politicians, writers, teachers and community members, according to a district spokesman. Irvington Police Chief Frank Pignatelli, Board of Education President Brian Friedman, Board of Education Vice President Beth Propper, Board of Education trustee Maura Gedid, Irvington Education Foundation President Neerja Patel and PTSA co-presidents Delina Cody and Dympna Kenny also read books to the students.

In addition, Main Street School students demonstrated themselves to be makers of change through a fundraiser for the Pajama Program, a non-profit organization that promotes and supports a comforting bedtime routine and healthy sleep for all children. The students collected new pajamas and books to donate.