June 23, 2010
Dr. Kelly meets with preschoolers at Seabee Base
The Child Development Center at the Seabee Base in Gulfport invited a special guest to read books to pre-school students today as part of the “Voyage to Book Island” reading program.
Dr. John Kelly, Gulfport’s chief administrative officer, was greeted by enthusiastic youngsters when he arrived this morning.
“Dealing with preschoolers is challenging because you have to get on their level and do things in a fun way; things they can relate to,” said Kelly.
Kelly took the children on a voyage to the seashore with a book titled “To the Beach” and went further to explore the depths with a book titled “All the Way to the Ocean.”
“Kids always leave a good impression because they are very honest, and you don’t have to worry about what they’re thinking,” said Kelly.
“Voyage to Book Island” is a Department of Defense program designed to keep children engaged in reading during the summer months. As part of the voyage, CDC teachers log the amount of books each student reads, whether at home or school, and the student who completes the most books at the end of each week is rewarded with various prizes.
“We do things like this to encourage parents to read to their children,” said Pamela Carlisle, a training and curriculum specialist at the CDC. “It’s been a fun voyage, and we were very excited to have Dr. Kelly on board.”

Office of Public Information - rlafontaine@gulfport-ms.gov - Phone: 228-868-5782
P.O. Box 1780 Gulfport, MS 39502-1780 - FAX: 868-5800





