LINCOLN — It was 8:45 a.m. in Lincoln and 7:30 p.m. local time in Pokhara, Nepal, but students in both places heard the same story about a young llama crying for his mama.
Internationally and locally, community leaders, parents and teachers read "Llama Llama Red Pajama" Thursday to encourage children to read and read often. The event, Jumpstart's Read for the Record, is in its sixth year.
At Christ School in Lincoln, Nebraska first lady Sally Ganem contributed by reading to 135 elementary students. Via Skype, she also was heard by 16 orphans in Nepal. This year's Read for the Record goal was 2 million children internationally.
"I hope they go home with a desire to read more," said Ganem, a former elementary school principal and teacher.
In Omaha, Mayor Jim Suttle read to about 35 students at Liberty Elementary School. Grand Island Mayor Jay Vavricek and Council Bluffs Mayor Tom Hanafan also visited elementary schools in their communities.
"Reading is important in our lives," Ganem said.
The students at Christ School know well the time difference between Lincoln and Pokhara. The two schools get together over Skype once a week to share songs, prayers and, now, story time. Even though the Internet connection was spotty Thursday, the voices of the Nepalese children could be heard as they sang for Ganem and the Christ School students and teachers.
"They live all the way across the world, and they are people we wouldn't usually see," said Christia Grimpo, an 8-year-old in Cindy Johnson's third-grade class.
The Nepalese children lived on the streets before being taken in by the Tiny Hands orphanage and school, called Holy Home. The two schools started communicating through Skype this year.
"The kids have been excited to connect with them and share this experience," said second-grade teacher Doni Douglass, who wore red pajamas for the event.
Third-grader David Swanson, 9, said pajama day meant wearing his red Husker pajamas and leaving the school's typical uniform, a green or blue shirt and khaki pants, at home. While Ganem didn't wear pajamas, she did sport red for the occasion.
After Ganem read, teachers passed out free copies of "Llama Llama Red Pajama" by Anna Dewdney to each child at the Christ School. The school also sent a copy to its friends in Nepal.
Read for the Record is coordinated by Jumpstart in partnership with the Pearson Foundation, which promotes literacy. Copies of the books also were given to pre-kindergarten and kindergarten classes in Omaha, Millard and Grand Island schools in Nebraska and Des Moines and Council Bluffs schools in Iowa.
For Ganem, the event was another opportunity for her to read to local children and show students that the written word means something.
"If you don't learn how to read, how can you learn to text in junior high?" Ganem said.
Contact the writer: kay.kemmet@owh.com
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