Favorite book, movie characters come to life in school’s elementary classrooms
Diffendoofer Day originally came to Mountain Lake Christian (MLC) Elementary classrooms through the auspices of Rachel Knutson, Acacia (Grades 1 and 2) teacher.
As Miss Knutson tells it, “I was searching for ways I could celebrate the wonderful gift of reading.” She came across a book based on the verses and sketches created by Dr. Seuss (Theodore Seuss Geisel). The book was completed after Suess’s death by writer Jack Prelutsky and illustrator Lane Smith.
With a title that was lively, merry and full of play, the book was entitled “Hooray for Diffendoofer Day.”
The story surrounds Diffendoofer School – liked by its students for its many eccentric teachers, especially the unsinkable Miss Bonkers. However, the students must prove that the quirky school has taught them how to think by earning good grades on a standardized test (which turns out in the end to be a revised test on multiple subjects they regularly learn) lest they be sent to an adjacent school in dreary Flobbertown that requires uniforms to be worn and is incredibly dull.
Now that word – Diffendoofer – was an interesting one for Miss Knutson to hear. That word – Diffendoofer – sounded good to her ear.
It was then Miss Knutson knew Diffendoofer Day was the name that would answer the call. The name for a special day of reading and books; a day not boring and dull at all.
And that’s the story of how Diffendoofer Day began at MLC.
So today, Friday, March 17, students came to school ready to read their favorite books. They donned costumes of favorite book characters, making everyone take double-looks.
Why, even the teachers got in on the fun. A special day that was second to none.
Following are some photographs from the special event:
ON DIFFENDOOFER DAY at MLC, K-12 Music Teacher Aaron Petersen transformed into King Lune, a king of Archenland, from “The Chronicles of Narnia.” During an afternoon elementary student gathering in the Music Room, the king shared the Dr. Seuss book, “Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You?,” a book of wonderful noises.
MOSES (BEN MOLLER), too, made a visit to MLC on Diffendoofer Day.
“AAARRRGGGHHH!” EZRA PETERSEN came as the pirate, Captain Blackbeard, to celebrate reading on the special day.
ROBIN HOOD (LUKE Klassen), was looking to gather his band of Merry Men in order to head to Sherwood Forest.
QUIN VIDANA BROUGHT Harry Potter to life from the book series written by J. K. Rowling.
BLUE-HAIRED THING 1 (David Moller) was on the look-out for his counterpart – Thing 2 – from the Dr. Seuss book, “The Cat in the Hat.”
OLDER MLC ELEMENTARY students teamed up with younger students for an afternoon reading time to end the celebration of Diffendoofer Day. Above, Lexi Nickel, left, portraying Susan Pevensie from C. S. Lewis’s “The Chronicles of Narnia” series, spent time together with Raina Nowak, dressed as a butterfly.
NORDIS OLSON, MLC Oak (Grades 3 and 4) teacher, was in character as Grandma Tildy from the Jerry Smath book, “But No Elephants.” When the pet man comes to visit Grandma Tildy she’s happy to buy a canary, a beaver and a tortoise – “but no elephants,” she always says. Then one cold winter day, the pet man comes again, and this time the only pet left is an elephant. And Grandma Tildy just can’t leave it out in the cold.
Tacky (a penguin from a series of books) is an odd bird who marches to the beat of his own drummer. He’s something of an eccentric, which wouldn’t be a problem if all the other penguins weren’t such . . . conformists. For Diffendoofer Day, Sheryl Fast, Sycamore (Kindergarten) teacher brought out her inner Tacky.
MLC PRESCHOOL/KINDERGARTEN Aide and Librarian Leechelle Quiring came to Diffendoofer Day as Farley, the Technicowlor Calf, from the book by Nancy Parker Brummett, “Pobody’s Nerfect: Featuring Farley the Technicowlor Calf.”
