On March 4th, 2025, Arlington Elementary School had their annual community reading day during Dr. Seuss Week. During this event, community individuals including firefighters, police officers, Town of Arlington workers, and Arlington High School staff and students gathered together to read Dr. Seuss books to the elementary schoolers.
The AHS students that attended the event were all apart of a specific sports team. They all repped their sports with a shirt or sweatshirt and were able to bond with the kids about it.
The students were very excited to see all the high schoolers and get to talk to them and ask questions.
Arlington High School Senior Aubrey McKee said, “It was a great experience to go back to where I went to elementary school and get to give back to my community. I loved getting to see all of my old teachers and give advice to the younger generation.” McKee explained how she loved getting to interact with all the students and reading to them.
To start the event off, all of the community volunteers gathered together in the cafeteria to sign-in. Going back into this school for the first time in a while took some people down memory lane.
After gathering together, each community volunteer or group of volunteer got paired with an Arlington Elementary School student council member. After taking a picture, the student council leaders led them into the room where they were going to read.
When reading to students, community volunteers were able to answer questions. Lots of students wanted to know different things about the volunteers, including their career paths, high school experiences, and much more.
After finishing her book, Kallen Perkins, AHS Senior, was giving the ability to talk to the students around her. “It was so much fun getting to talk to all of the kids and answer their questions, whether it was a real question or just them asking if we knew their older siblings.”
Overall, having community members come back to read was a very special experience for the elementary schoolers, a tradition they look forward to every spring.
