Phillie Phanatic Pumps Up Nativity

Students at Nativity of Our Lord caught the Phillie Phever when they started Tuesday's school day with a special visit from the Phillie Phanatic.

The Phillie Phanatic burst through the stage curtains to the cheering throng and danced his way around the church hall, stopping to cut a few dance moves with any unlucky faculty members that happened to get catch his fancy.

The Phanatic made the trip to Warminster to congratulate the children for their outstanding work in performing the Phillies Phanatic for Reading program, which started in September. Started in 2004, the reading initiative is offered to elementary schools throughout the tri-state area. It is up to the students to complete at least 15 minutes of reading per day, either on their own or with an adult.

Logs are maintained by the teachers and sent to the Phillies organization, who select the schools they feel have demonstrated a true commitment to reading.

"We are proud of our students that they kept their promise to read throughout this entire school year," said Mitzi Chirillo, director of enrollment and marketing for Nativity.

Teachers in each classroom also nominated students for Outstanding Readers and Most Improved Readers. The most improved readers had to show remarkable gains in time spent each day reading, after the required 15 minutes. The outstanding readers went above and beyond the requirement, showing a true love of reading, said Chirillo.

Those students will have their picture taken with the Phanatic and their names displayed on special banners at Citizens Bank Park for the Phillies Literacy Night on June 10.

With the wild introduction over, the Phanatic and Janet Steiner, government affairs manager for Comcast, which sponsors the program, presented a certificate of recognition to Trish Morris, whose fourth grade class was declared the top performing classroom in the school. Morris then sat down to read The Phillie Phanatic's Phantastic Journey while the Phanatic acted out the book. 

The Phanatic got his own surprise treat when a cake was brought out and the children started singing Happy Birthday, in celebration of his April 17 birthday.