Students at East Elementary put on their pajamas and came back to school for the annual Pajama/Reading Party sponsored by the East Elementary PTO on Tuesday night, December 4th.

Students listened to Christmas stories read by special guests, sang Christmas carols, and enjoyed cookies and milk before going home to bed. This year’s special guest readers were members of the Brownwood Lions football team, Dylan Lewis, Braxton Kilgo, Coach Bob Shipley, and East Elementary principal, Nanda Wilbourn.

One highlight of the evening was when Coach Shipley added a new twist to one of the traditional stories. “When he was reading about the children all snug in their beds, instead of visions of sugarplums dancing in their heads, it was visions of knee pads, helmet stickers, elbow pads, etc.,” stated Wilbourn.  “I told him that if he ever gets tired of being a coach, he can come be a reader at East.”

At top: Coach Shipley reads the classic “Twas the Night Before Christmas” and tells the kids that he read this to his children every Christmas Eve when they were little.

Above: Dylan Lewis and Braxton Kilgo wait for students to be seated before they begin reading at the East Elementary Christmas Pajama/Reading Party.

Above: East Elementary 1st grader, Addison Welch, and her sister Kaitlyn get cookies and milk while their mother, Tessa Welch looks on.

Above: Dylan Lewis reads a story about Santa’s new suit while Braxton, Coach Shipley, and Mrs. Wilbourn look on.