Obamas surprise trip to school

Washington, Feb 4: US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle took time out from their busy schedules and made an unannounced trip to a school to read to kids.

The trip, which comes just after former senator Tom Daschle resigned as HHS Secretary-nominee, and which was not scheduled, saw the commander-in-chief heading for The Capital City Public Charter School.

Both the president and his wife read to a group of second-graders in the school library from a picture book entitled 'The Moon over Star,' an account of the first moon landing in July of 1969.

"We were just tired of being in the White House," the Washington Post quoted Obama as telling the students. Principal Janine Gomez said that she was told one day before by the White House that the president would be coming to visit the school at 15th Irving Streets NW.

"I thought about all of the struggles that my ancestors have gone through before we had equal rights," she said of his visit.

"I saw two worlds coming together," she added. bama was greeted at the school by 11-year-old Sam Sherman and 10-year-old Karen Tchemi of Northeast Washington.

"Words can't explain," Sherman said of the visit.

Tchemi on the other hand made conversation with the president about voting rights in the District, and stressed about D C statehood.

"I made the case to him for D C voting rights," she said. or fifth-grade teacher Wanda Gregory, who had been teaching Tchemi about the District's plight, it was a memorable moment.

"This is a moment that they will remember for the rest of their lives," she said.

Leensa Fufa, 27, a second-grade teacher at the school whose students were among the 25 who got a chance to listen to Obama read.

"It was a great honour for the president and the first lady to take time out of their busy schedule to recognize the work that we do here," she said.

ANI