With many students sitting alone at home for remote classes, one elementary school student came up with a way for kids to safely interact in time for back-to-school season. Johara, 8, created “Front Yard Story Time” to bring kids together in Denver, Colorado.
Johara, a third-grader at Corey Elementary, was crushed to start the back-to-school season remotely after finishing out last school year online.
“I miss my friends and my teachers, even the strangers I didn’t know. I miss the socialization,” Johara told CBS4.
Johara brainstormed and created “Front Yard Story Time.” She soon made a flyer and with the help of her mother, Leigh Benrahrou, made copies and dropped them off to every neighborhood home with children.
The flyer says, “My name is Johara. I love little kids. I’m in 3rd grade and I am 8. My inspiration for this program is to help kids have something to look forward to. I really want to go back to school, but as we all know, I can’t. I hope this can help us all feel more connected. I hope you join me.”
According to the flyer, masks are mandatory and there’s a maximum of five kids for each reading session. Johara hopes to continue the sessions twice a week in the future.
While her mother was heartbroken to see her daughter struggling with continued remote instruction, she’s happy that Johara has found a way to cope with her new normal.
“I’m most proud of her because she’s socially aware and has the level of empathy,” Benrahrou told CBS4.
Johara’s story time can be seen in action below:
Front Yard Story Time — Sources
CBS4: School-loving Denver third grader hosts ‘front yard story time’ for other kids