By Tom Jordan
There's nothing quite like getting into your pajamas and curling up with a good book, no matter how old you are. Nothing beats a well-told story, regardless of whether you prefer Shakespeare or Salinger or Dr. Seuss.
So on Feb. 16, the students of Covert Elementary School, most of them dressed in their most comfortable jammies, celebrated the last day of a week-long reading extravaganza called Literacy Celebration 2001 in style. Even Principal Darren Raymar got into the act, shunning his usual shirt and tie in favor of less traditional garb.
The idea is to reinstill in the students the love of reading while showing them how very important it is in our lives. Whether you're a custodian or a football player or a teacher, literacy is all around us, Raymar said. The kids have really gotten into it. We just wanted them to make the connection that everyone has to read, but that it's still fun.
As part of the program, each student was asked to bring in an artifact having to do with literacy. Their choices newspaper articles, sports schedules, food wrappers, comic books and book jackets demonstrated creativity. Students' drawings and essays adorned the Covert hallways. Each class also wrote to a famous person, asking how being able to read has touched that person. Vinnie Testaverde, quarterback for the Jets, and Rosie O'Donnell wrote back. Additionally, DJs from Z100 and Vaugn Stewart, a songwriter who wrote the music for the movie Stuart Little
