Read to by the big kids

Suzie Harrison

They hurried to complete their final preparations. The second-graders

had confidence they would be ready in time, but were a bit worried as

their guests were about to arrive.

The day was a special occasion in Roberta Goodman’s El Morro

Elementary class. It was Halloween and soon they would get a visit

from Gretchen Sjule’s kindergarten class.

The students were prepared to share goodies and read stories with

the youngsters.

Everything was going according to plan, but Goodman decided to rid

the students of some pent up energy before their guests arrived. She

took a seat at the piano and played a tune while the students danced

and sang.

Just in time, the students put on their witch and warlock hats,

made of different colors, some sporting sparkles or black cats and

skeletons.

Suddenly Sjule, flanked by a row of kids, was at their door. The

kindergarteners were escorted to 10 different stations by an upper

classman. The event was well organized and the second-graders looked

like seasoned pros as they greeted and seated their guests.

Juliet Hall, 7, read “There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bat”

and the kids leaned forward listening with anticipation.

“She swallowed the owl, she shushed the bat, you wonder why she’s

so fat it’s because she swallowed the cat,” Juliet read.

Karl Von Schimpf, 7, was reading “Clifford’s Halloween” showing

the pictures before turning the pages, his captivated audience

giggled along.

As Sarah Nederlander, 7, was reading she would engage her

audiences with questions and answers.

“Do you know what dimmed means?” Sarah asked. “Dimmed means it’s

when you have a flashlight and turn down the light.”

She kept on pace and pulled out a second book, “Mrs. Broom.” Sarah

sang the words to the book and pointed out that Mrs. Broom was indeed

a witch.

The minutes flew by and it was time for the kindergarteners to

line up and get back to their class. But before they left they called

out in unison a big thank you to the second graders.

Though she seemed like a professional, Sarah said that she was

actually very nervous. At first when the teacher said they were going

to do this class project she said that she felt sort of cool.

“Once I was doing it I was a little nervous,” Sarah said. “I know

I wasn’t supposed to look nervous we were supposed to act excited.”

But the end results were what she had hoped for.

“I felt that it made them feel really happy,” she said.

Paige Greenwood, 7, seemed to be on the same page with Sarah.

“Well we were reading to the Kindergarteners and we were telling

them stories,” Paige said. “It was like we were giving them manners

also at the same time when we were telling them to sit down. “It felt

like we were older and it felt really cool.”

After the kindergarteners were on their way, the second-graders

had only few minutes to collect themselves and put on a smile before

their next set of guests arrived -- the first-graders.