The sights and sounds of South High's pep band, cheerleaders and dancers greeted Bancroft Elementary students as they arrived in early May. Sophomore Ximena Miranda Tovar filled with excitement as she returned to her former school.
 
"I attended Bancroft Elementary from kindergarten through fifth grade," she said. "It feels so good to be back here and see the kids' faces."
 
South High students visited classrooms to read aloud to the younger kids. The event was a special opportunity to promote literacy in a meaningful way.
 
"We have amazing kids doing amazing things every day," said David Milan, Bancroft Elementary principal. "The most important part of today was celebrating all the work they've done."

Many elementary students were thrilled to have the high schoolers in their classrooms.
 
"It feels very nice," said Manal Hussein, Bancroft Elementary kindergartner. "I liked the book we read today about the animals and the part when the giraffe danced."
 
Last summer, Bancroft Elementary hit a milestone of the most books read during the break - a goal Principal Milan hopes his students will match again. 
 
"We read thousands of books this past summer, and we're looking forward to reading thousands more this summer," he said.

During the celebration, students enjoyed books like "We Don't Eat Our Classmates," "The King Who Banned the Dark," and "Fourth Grade Rats." Miranda Tovar says she hopes the younger students take away an important lesson from the event.
 
"I hope they get the courage to keep reading more and try new things," she said. "Reading is so important."
 
Omaha Public Schools encourages students and families to read every day while kids are on break this summer.
 
"We're doing many things to teach kids how to read. We have take-home book programs and technology in the classrooms," said Milan. "Most importantly, we have a dedicated teacher in every room making it happen."
 
More than two dozen Omaha Public Schools libraries will open each Wednesday in June for students to check out new books. Families can find a list of participating schools on our website at ops.org/summerreading.

May 2025

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