Read Online EllRay Jakes Rocks the Holidays! by Sally Warner - Free Book Online

supposed to say, “Oh,” I guess. Only I don’t really get the difference. They’re both just sounds.
    But—Ms. Sanchez seems so happy about school letting out! I mean,
I’m
glad that school’s going to be over for so long. But I didn’t think a teacher would be happy about it. Not
our
teacher.
    We’re not that bad, are we? Us kids?
    Won’t she miss us, at least a little?
    “Listen, EllRay,” Ms. Sanchez begins. “Our assembly is going to start at around nine-thirty tomorrow morning, so right after attendance, we’ll do one last run-through of the song, and then begin our calm, orderly trek to the auditorium.”
    “Okay,” I say, even though I think she was being sarcastic with that last part.
    “Then we’ll probably all say the Pledge of Allegiance,” she says. “And Principal James will welcome everyone to Oak Glen Primary School. Then he’ll introduce
you
, the emcee.”
    “Okay,” I say again, starting to feel kind of hot and tingly.
    I am really going to have to do this.
    “So, what were you planning to say?” Ms. Sanchez asks, tilting her head. The shiny black hair in her bun is falling down a little, the way it does at the end of the day, and her brown eyes look tired. But she is paying close attention to me.
    “I was gonna say ‘Hi,’” I tell her. “And then I was gonna say, ‘Here are the kindergarten kids, singing something just for you.’ And, like, do that for all the grades.”
    Ms. Sanchez thinks for a few seconds. “Maybe alittle more preparation might not be a bad thing,” she finally suggests.
    That means more preparation would be a
good
thing. Grownups sometimes say things backward. You have to learn to translate.
    “How much preparation?” I ask. Because I’m no good at memorizing things—especially stuff I’m going to have to say in front of a zillion people. Including strangers.
    “Just a little,” she assures me. “For instance, you need a nice, short opening, and a good strong closing so people will know
An Oak Glen Winter Wonderland
is really and truly over, and they can go home. And, as you said, there should be a brief introduction for the song each of the four grades will perform.”
    Ms. Sanchez really wants me to do a good job. I can tell!
    This makes me feel happy and nervous at the same time.
    “I don’t have to tell any jokes, do I?” I say.
    “Heavens, no,” Ms. Sanchez says, shaking her head. “Just, ‘Hello, and welcome to
An Oak Glen Winter Wonderland
. Right into the mic, andspeak
slowly.
Because rushing through the words is the number-one mistake most people make when speaking to a crowd. Now, you give it a try.”

    “
Hello-o-o
!” I say, my voice sounding robot-slow as I form the first word. “Welcome to a Winter Wonderland. In Oak Glen,” I finish. And then I wonder where I went wrong. It seemed so easy when she said it.
    “Welcome to
An Oak Glen Winter Wonderland
,” Ms. Sanchez tells me again.
    “Okay. I got it. ‘Hello,” I say, shouting the word. “And welcome to a Winter Wonderland! At Oak Glen Primary School! No, wait.”
    “That would work just fine, EllRay,” Ms. Sanchez says, smiling. “That’s basically right.”
    “But I want to be
exactly
right,” I tell her. “My dad’s gonna be there! And my mom. And Alfie,” I add.
    I think Ms. Sanchez gets it about my dad. “Well, if you want to memorize the first part exactly,” she says, “just remember that O comes before W in the alphabet. See? ‘Oak Glen’ comes before ‘Winter Wonderland.’”
    “Hello, Oak Glen! And welcome to a Winter Wonderland,” I SHOUT again—a moment before stomping my foot. “Dang!” I say, scolding myself.
    “But see, that was just fine, too,” Ms. Sanchez tells me. “And then if you add a nice, loud ‘Thanks for coming!’ at the end of our song, you’ll be home free. It’s not like you have to be word perfect.”
    Hey. Is she giving up on me already?
    “I don’t even get why he chose me, anyway,” I mumble. “Or