Naval Support Activity Hampton Roads participates in Read Across America Day

ByKatishaDraughn-Fraguada

Naval Support Activity Hampton Roads

Public Affairs Office

Naval Support Activity (NSA) Hampton Roads leadership and Sailors celebrated the joy of reading by participating in Read Across America Day at Grassfield Elementary School and the installation’s child development centers on Mar 2.

Launchedin1998bytheNationalEducation Association, Read Across America is the nation’s largest celebration of reading and is a year-round program that focuses on motivating children and teens to read.

“This is the highlight of my day, the ability to come out here and read to these amazing kindergartners,” said Capt Matt Frauenzimmer, Commanding Officer of NSA Hampton Roads “We have a great partnership with Chesapeake Public Schoolssotohavetheopportunitytobring some excitement to the children and show them how important reading is made this day extra special.”

Frauenzimmer; Cmdr. William Snider, ExecutiveOfficerof NSAHampton Roads; and Lt Cmdr Roger Blake, Officer-inChargeofNSAHamptonRoads-Northwest Annex, all visited Grassfield Elementary School for some reading fun.

“It’s always exciting to have our military memberscomeintotheschool.Itprovides otherrolemodelsforthestudentsandthey just get so excited to have someone else come and share stories with them,” said Kristen Anthony, Kindergarten Teacher at Grassfield Elementary School. “My main goal for the students is to have a love for learning and a love for reading. Events like today will definitely help spark that and I know it will just build from there.

This is NSA Hampton Roads’ second yearcollaboratingwithChesapeakePublic Schools to celebrate Read Across America Day.

“Asadultsweknowthatitisimportantfor childrentodevelopanappreciationforreading,whichsupportscognitivedevelopment in many ways,” said Dr Jeff McGee, School LiaisonOfficeratNSAHamptonRoads,who helped organized the event. “I am so grateful for the wonderful partnership we share with Chesapeake schools that enables our commandtocelebratereading.Sometimesa guestreadercansparkachild’simagination andmakeallthedifference.”

To continue in the celebration, NSA Hampton Roads Sailors read to young children at the Sewells Point and Portsmouth ChildDevelopmentCenters

“I wanted to participate because I enjoy being around kids and it was great to see their smiling faces,” said Airman Drake Kurtz.“Beinginthemilitarymeansprotectingwhatwehavehereathomeandabigpart ofthatisthechildren.

The teachers and children were very thankful for the guest readers and even wrote them thank you cards to show their appreciation.

“Children deal with a lot of stressors and challenges that we may not recognize or even think about,” said Frauenzimmer “So for us to be able to come here and read to them and put a smile on their faces is so important,andithighlightsourmissionasa command and a Navy supporting the fleet, thefighterandthefamily.

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