On February 12th Stafford Elementary students celebrated President Abraham Lincoln’s 200th birthday. Many students were dressed up as President Lincoln wearing white shirts, black suit coats and black stove top hats.

Several students from the fifth and sixth grade classes (dressed up like President Lincoln) were chosen to read books to the CBI, Pre-K, first and second grade students. One student, Cassidy Svehlak, (fifth grader) presented a speech as President Lincoln. She started out by identifying herself as President Abraham Lincoln and went on to tell the class that they were celebrating his 200th birthday, that he was the sixteenth president of the United States and president during the Civil War that ended slavery. In the speech it was told that his face is on the five dollar bill and on the penny. Cassidy passed out pennies for the students to see.

The students that were chosen to read to the younger students name’s were put in a drawing and seven lucky winners won five dollar bills. The winners were Maddy Washington, Julissa Hernandez, Amber Hooker, Cody Boyd, Juan Suaste, K’Breona Davis and John Escamilla.

The library presented new books to all students in Pre-K through second grade which lead to the next event – D.E.A.R.

From 1:30 to 2:00 PM everyone in the school – students, teachers, paraprofessionals and office staff read for thirty minutes to honor President Lincoln’s love of reading and his support of all education. Everywhere in the school you saw students reading and the silence was golden. This event was called D.E.A.R. – Drop Everything and Read.

After D.E.A.R. time staff and parents helped to pass out mini-cupcakes to all of the students in the school to celebrate Lincoln’s birthday.

Another grand day of learning and celebrating life at Stafford Elementary.