KATIE STOCKSTILL
MORNING SUN
ON THE GO EDITOR

All aboard the Polar Express of Pittsburg. One hundred sixty-nine students from Lakeside Elementary School had the opportunity to ride Pittsburg's version of the Polar Express Wednesday afternoon.

The students earned the afternoon ride by meeting their nine-weeks reading goal.

Susie Tims, Title 1 reading coordinator, said the idea for the event came from a train ride she took in Branson, Mo..

"An adult book club I am part of took a train ride in Branson," Tims said. "We got to talking and realized that majority of children have never had an opportunity to ride a train. So, we began talking about how we can tie a train ride into reading and that is where we got the idea of the Polar Express book."

The Polar Express has long been a favorite among students of all ages. Tims said many themes from the book were used in the celebration such as receiving bells for the first gift of Christmas.

During their train ride Wednesday, students also received candy canes, a post card of the train and a surprise visit from Santa Claus. They sang a variety of Christmas carols and enjoyed a train ride in their pajamas.

Once the students arrived back at school, they finished their afternoon of fun with hot chocolate and doughnuts.

"My favorite part was Santa," Jamie Van Wyck, student at Lakeside Elementary said. "I liked the candy canes too. It was a fun."

Tims said the entire event came at no cost to the district, with various community businesses and organizations contributing to the cause.

And an anonymous donor made it possible for every student to receive a hard-cover copy of The Polar Express, by Chris Van Allsburg.

"The entire event went very well," Tims said. "We had a lot of fun and I think the students really enjoyed it, especially the visit from Santa. I think the whole event just shows how much our community supports reading and tremendous their support really is."

The Morning Sun, (www.morningsun.net) December 21, 2006

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