Freedom Elementary students celebrate Literacy Week

Don Hall wore a serious expression and used his deepest voice to get into character.

He takes story time seriously, he said, as he pretended to be a "big bad crocodile."

The deputy superintendent of operations read "Guji Guji," by Chih-Yuan Chen, which is a story about a crocodile that was raised by ducks and believes he is a duck.

"He walked like a duck, because he thought he was a duck," Hall explained to Chris-Anne Phelps' class, Jan. 28, at Freedom Elementary. "Three bad crocodiles sharpened their teeth. They were ready to eat a big, fat duck."

School district officials and community members have been reading to students all week as part of Celebrate Literacy Week, Florida — a campaign to boost interest in reading.

Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene and Deputy Superintendent of Instructional Services Cynthia Saunders also are reading to students through Jan. 29.

Hall spent an hour with Freedom students, reading the children's story and answering their questions about crocodiles, reading and "what he does all day."

"How old were you when you learned to read?" student E.J. Rice asked Hall. 

"I was 5 years old," Hall responded, smiling.

"Well, I was 1 year old," Rice quickly said, laughing.

Hall enjoyed the morning story time, because he loves to read and hopes to show students how important reading is to education.

Visiting classrooms also isn't something he is able to do regularly.

"I started out as a seventh-grade teacher," Hall said. "It's nice to get back in the classroom and remember what it's like in there. Reading is so important, as is getting students to think about the stories they hear and the stories they read. Stories give children thoughts about possibilities for their lives they never thought of before."