The Judy Moody Star Studded Collection - Megan Mcdonald [41]
“Something’s up,” she told Rocky.
Judy sat down next to Frank. “Know what? Something’s funny. All the teachers have a winking disease today.”
“A winking disease?”
“Yeah, you know, when they wink at you and say nice things.”
While Judy waited for the day to begin, she looked around the room at all the kids in her ecosystem. Not one third-grader was absent. And every single person in Class 3T had pitched in and collected bottles.
“Class,” said Mr. Todd, blinking the lights to get their attention. “Announcements. Listen up.”
Judy Moody squirmed all through morning announcements. A Mexican jumping bean could have done a better job of sitting still.
“And now,” came Ms. Tuxedo’s voice over the PA system, “the moment you’ve been waiting for . . .” Judy Moody sat up super straight and used her best third-grade listening ears.
“As you know, Mr. Todd’s room, Class 3T, has been collecting bottles this week to raise money for the rain forest. This money will go, on behalf of the Virginia Dare School, to plant trees in the Children’s Rain Forest in Costa Rica. Thanks to Class 3T, the Virginia Dare School has collected 1,961 bottles. That means we will be planting ninety-eight trees to help save the rain forest.”
Ninety-eight! Suddenly, Judy remembered the dollars from her dad. Two more dollars meant two more trees. One hundred trees! Class 3T went wild, jumping up and down, clapping and whooping and hooting like owls.
“We’d like to show our appreciation to our third graders in a special assembly today at 2:30. This will provide the whole school with a chance to give them a big hand and show them how proud we are of their hard work and their efforts for such a good cause.”
“Lunch today is Sloppy Joes,” Ms. Tuxedo continued. “Tickets go on sale Monday for the school fair. And will Judy Moody please report to the front office?”
“Uh-oh. Judy’s in trouble,” Jessica Finch said.
“Nobody’s in trouble,” said Mr. Todd. “Judy’s going to represent our class at the assembly today. After all, she got us thinking about our pencils, and before we knew it, we were planting trees in the rain forest. Judy, go ahead down to the office and find out what Ms. Tuxedo would like you to do.”
Judy walked as fast as she could without running down the great green halls of the Virginia Dare School to the front office. The third-grade papier-mâché masks outside the classroom seemed to wink at her. The second-grade self-portraits grinned. And the first-grade sunflowers on the wall stood up prouder.
Ms. Tuxedo took Judy into the multipurpose room. The principal showed Judy where to sit in the front row and told her when to come up on stage.
“When I call you up on stage, I’ll hand you something for your class. You accept it, then walk across the stage and rejoin your class.”
“Is it a certificate?” asked Judy.
“It’s a surprise! It’ll be fun. You’ll see,” said the principal. And she winked. So this is what all the winking is about, Judy thought.
At 2:25, Mr. Todd’s class hurried to the multipurpose room. Judy took her seat in the front row.
The room was dark. The curtains went up. A single spotlight shone on Ms. Tuxedo. Everybody clapped.
“Today, boys and girls, we are here to show how proud we are of Class 3T. They showed excellent teamwork on a project raising money to plant trees in the Children’s Rain Forest in Costa Rica. Because of them, one hundred trees will be planted for the Virginia Dare School. Margaret Mead says, ‘Never doubt that a small group of concerned people can change the world.’ Our special thanks to 3T for helping to change the world!”
Everybody cheered and clapped some more.
“Ranger Piner is here as our special guest from the County Parks Department. They have donated a cedar tree, like the ones in the rain forest, to the Virginia Dare School. Right after the assembly,