Vocabulary Day at Sippican School provided any “librocubicularists” out there a chance to expand their literary horizons.

Friday marked the 11th year in a row where students and teachers wore costumes to highlight new words learned throughout the year.

Dressed in pajamas and a bed fashioned from cardboard with two book covers, Assistant Principal Sarah Goerges depicted a librocubicularist. The rare word is defined as someone who reads in bed.

Third grade teacher Paula McKeen chose “appetency” as her vocabulary word. Armed with gardening tools, McKeen wore a straw hat and lengthy green shirt for her costume.

She chose the word, which means desire, to protest a long winter.

“I am sick of winter and am longing for spring,” she joked.

McKeen started Vocabulary Day as  a classroom celebration inspired by the children’s book “Miss Alaineus” by Debra Fraiser. In the book, students hold a parade dressed up as the words they chose.

“It blossomed from there into an all school event,” McKeen said.

Select students stood on stage to show off their costumes and explain their words during a school assembly. All students also participated in a vocabulary scavenger hunt.

Before the all school meeting, Corinna Raznikov-Wisner again photographed approximately 500 students in their costumes.

A professional photographer, Raznikov-Wisner has donated her time and equipment the past few Vocabulary Days.

She got the idea for the project when her daughter joined Kindergarten and participated in her first Vocabulary Day.

At the end of the project, Raznikov-Wisner will have six years worth of photographs. Each student is given a free 8 x 10 glossy in May. Also, all of the photographs are compiled in a book that is kept in the school’s library.

The variety of the costumes ran the gamut from showy to subtle.

Max Richins was imprisoned inside a pillory of his own making to demonstrate the device once used to humiliate and punish people.

“I was looking in the dictionary and saw a picture of it and thought it would be a good costume,” Max said.

Principal Lyn Rivet opted for a “casual” approach and wore a striped shirt and jeans to illustrate her word.

“I never get to wear this in school,” Rivet said. “It’s my own personal dress down day.”

Rivet said the event gets students learning new words in a fun way.

“It really brings attention to vocabulary,” Rivet said.