Salisbury Police officers read to Overton Elementary School students

Published 12:05 am Monday, March 19, 2018

By Shavonne Walker
shavonne.walker@salisburypost.com

SALISBURY — Marshmallow — it’s the name of a cat that belongs to an Overton Elementary School first-grader. The student, along with a group of students, sat on the floor of teacher Kaetlyn McNabb’s class listening as Salisbury Police Capt. Melonie Thompson read to them “The Cat Who Lost His Purr.”

Thompson, along with officer Rebecca Sexton, Major Shon Barnes and Capt. Brian Stallings, read books to first-second and third-graders at the school recently in honor of Dr. Seuss and National Reading Month.

The students answered questions about the book and shared with Thompson about their own furry pets at home. It was the first time for the Salisbury Police officers who were able to read to excited students during a monthlong host of events. The events were planned by reading coach Stacey Rogers and media coordinator Jessica Tucker.

“It’s building a foundation and allows us to connect and make future connections with the children,” said Police Capt. Brian Stallings

Stallings said he had a blast and hopes the children did as well.

Students have completed various projects that pertain to reading including classroom decorations are centered around books they’ve read.

They’ve written letters to authors and decorated paper grocery bags that they use during the storybook time. The whole school is reading “The Adventures of a South Pole Pig.”

Typically special events for reading in the past have been done for a week, but this year the school expanded and came up with activities for the whole month.

Contact reporter Shavonne Walker at 704-797-4253.