Fun mix of poetry, exercise to greet hikers along city trail

McAllen ISD has established a Reading Reindeer Walk along the City of McAllen’s hike and bike trail. Walkers can scan a series of signs (spaced out over the course of one mile) each of which contains a stanza from the classic poem ’Twas the Night Before Christmas.

The Reindeer Walk route is on the trail next to Bicentennial Blvd. The oval-shaped route begins at Harvey Ave. The trail goes north half-a-mile toward Nolana Ave. before circling back southward to Harvey. The Reading Reindeer Walk signs will be up from December 17-December 26.

“Our hope is to promote literacy and provide people with an opportunity to enjoy time with their families in a fun and safe way,” Richard Roberts, McAllen ISD’s Coordinator for Secondary English Language Arts, said.

Each of the posters has a QR code that directs participants to a website where they can listen to the poem being read, find definitions of some keywords and watch a video to help them participate in a short exercise that corresponds with the stanza.

All participants are encouraged to post their experiences on social media by tagging @McAllenISD.

To see the website, route, reading, and exercises, follow the link below:
https://sites.google.com/mcallenisd.net/readingreindeerwalk/home?authuser=0

’Twas The Night Before Christmas is a famous poem written in the early 19th century by Clement Clark Moore. It describes a visit to a home from Santa Claus (Saint Nicholas).

PHOTO CAPTION
One of the signs along the Reading Reindeer trail is visible along the McAllen Hike & Bike Trail near the intersection of Bicentennial Blvd. and Harvey Ave.  The QR code on each sign will send participants to poetic stanzas celebrating Christmas and entertaining videos.