Richmond, Virginia, Monday, March 2 ,2020. Third District, Upsilon Nu Chapter joined other groups and neighbors in the Read Across America program. The Brothers of Upsilon Nu selected Highland Springs Elementary School as the location for their participation. We have formed a relationship with Highland Springs, so it became an easy choice for us, based upon the many requests we received, stated Social Action Chairman Brother James Hunter. Next year we plan to expand our participation to several more schools as we celebrate the birthday of Dr. Seuss. A special thank you goes out to Dr. Shawnya Tolliver-Principal, for inviting us.
It is an amazing experience for me reading to the 3rd Grade class. They were transfixed on me from the moment I sat down with my assigned book, “Wonder”. The kids were seated around us and we asked each of them to give us their names and we introduced ourselves. “As they introduced themselves, I thought to myself, wow, was I ever that young,” stated Brother Edwards. I made it a point to pause during the reading, and asked questions about what I had just read. The hands went up quickly, and each student expressed what they heard. Each student was given an opportunity to read along and individually.
Brother Donald Bentley and Brother Pete Hammond read to fifth-grade classes. They also read the book “Wonder” to the class. The overall plan at Highland Springs Elementary is to complete the book in April. The teachers were very gracious and let us continue to interact with the kids. Each student was encouraged to speak about the books and were very enthusiastic.
