LYNN — I was outshined by a man in an alligator costume who calls himself “Chomps.”
But, it was all for the kids.
Harrington Elementary School celebrated its 16th annual Reading Day on Friday and nearly 50 community members showed up to play their part. I was honored to read two books, “Dog Man” and “Are You Ready to Play Outside?,” to a classroom full of third-, fourth- and fifth-graders.
I walked into the room and their faces lit up with excitement. Then “Chomps,” the mascot for the North Shore Navigators, walked in behind me and I was completely forgotten. The guy actually turned around and apologized to me. I’m convinced he knew what he was doing.
But, the smiles on the tiny, adorable faces put it all into perspective for me. This was their day, and the community really showed up to make it an enjoyable one for them.
City and state officials, police officers, firefighters and school administrators, including Superintendent Patrick Tutwiler and Lynn Police Chief Michael Mageary, all arrived ready to lend their reading voices. They were met with Harrington students and faculty all dressed up as their favorite book characters.
Hermione Granger, Mary Poppins, Sheriff Woody, Pikachu and the Cat in the Hat were all in attendance. The high level of enthusiasm and creativity in each costume was very apparent. These Harrington-ers take Reading Day very seriously.
After the classroom reads, the students were treated to an assembly with a presentation from Elizabeth-Jade Beattie, an 11-year-old with a published book titled “The Elephant Dentist.”
Dulce Gonzalez, the 22-year-old Reading Day keynote speaker from state Sen. Brendan Crighton’s office, looked at me and laughed as we simultaneously thought about how much cooler this 11-year-old was compared to us.
Harrington fourth-grader Veronica Rutman, or “Hermione,” as I called her all of Friday, said Reading Day is her favorite day of the school year.
“I love reading,” she said. “Books inspire me. When I start reading them, I just sink right into them.”
Carole Shutzer, the elementary school’s librarian, has ran the Reading Day show all 16 years. It’s a nearly year-long job for her, and she deserves all the credit in the world for her organizational efforts. She goes above and beyond for the Harrington kids.