Spreading the love of reading at Pine Tree Elementary

MONROE — Pine Tree Elementary had a very busy week.
On Wednesday, May 11, the school was visited by some very special guests: members of the U.S. Military Academy's Black Knights Women’s Basketball Team.
Players Jean Parker and Bri Johnson, along with coaches Lisa Strack and Emily Garner, came to visit the school.
In the fall, Pine Tree students participated in the first-ever Black Knights Reading Program, sponsored by the Army West Point Women’s basketball team.
The program ran for four weeks, where students had to log the total number of pages read.
Pine Tree Elementary was the overall winner, with the highest school total of 92,178 pages read.
Additionally, one of Pine Tree’s third grade students, Zachary Rowen-Delson, had the highest individual total, both for his grade and overall, with 8,946 pages read.
The players spoke to the students about what it is like to play for a Division I school, the importance of reading and studying hard and how respect and teamwork are essential aspects to succeeding.
Above all, the students were told that hard work, determination, and discipline are a necessity.
As if the Black Knight’s visit weren’t enough, children’s author Douglas Florian visited Pine Tree as part of the school’s Author Day celebration.
Florian is the author of more than 50 books, many of which are poetry.
During his humorous presentations, the author shared several of his poems and discussed the various elements of poetry, including rhyme, rhythm, onomatopoeia, and personification.
He granted each student poetic license and asked them not to have it suspended.
Florian ended each session by drawing several sketches for the students and having them guess the animal, a most popular activity.