All’s quiet for 2,001 seconds

Danette Goulet

CORONA DEL MAR -- When the clock struck noon Friday, silence settled

over Harbor View Elementary School as each head -- big and little -- bent

to read books for 2,001 seconds.

One of the only sounds that could be heard for those 33 minutes and 21

seconds was the laughter of the office staff as Principal Karen Kendall

read holiday stories aloud.

At the request of a group of fifth-grade math students, the entire

school participated in a worldwide read-a-thon.

“It’s a way to promote reading and literacy,” said Linda Wawra, whose

students read about the event in a scholastic math magazine and asked if

they could participate.

“It’s like a wave because of the time zones,” said Tamara Parks, 10,

explaining that everyone was to start reading at noon. “So first New York

will read, then us, then Hawaii -- all around the world.”

The wave concept fascinated many of the students but each had his or

her own reasons for enjoying the event.

“It’s really fun,” said Robbie Ogorek, 11.

“It’s a good chance to finish some books,” chimed in his friend Andrew

Halladay.

“Especially since my dad said he’d buy me something when I finished

this book,” Robbie said. “And we finally get to bring our sleeping bags

in.”

Students’ excitement had been building for weeks as they formed

committees to promote the read-a-thon.

“In our math class, we got to make banners and posters and bookmarks,”

Tamara said.

The bookmarks were a contest, Wawra said. Six winners were chosen and

their bookmarks were laminated and passed out to every student.

Apparently the event was successful in getting students excited about

reading because students thought it was the greatest thing to be able to

read the books of their choice for a whole 33 minutes.

“It’s cool because we usually just have 30 minutes to read -- and

because it’s a new millennium we get to read for exactly 2,001 seconds,”

said Hannah Solow, 10. “Even the kindergartners are doing it.”