PHOTOS: Callista Gingrich Visits the Goddard School

was abuzz with excitement Thursday morning over the visit of Callista Gingrich, wife of Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich. 

Callista Gingrich was greeted with excited whispers from children who told their friends: "that's her" and "she's here." After a tour of the school, 4561 Princeton Lane, a class of 4- and 5-year-old students sang Our Country Tis of Thee to Gingrich.

"That was the most beautiful rendition of that song," Gingrich told the class.

Gingrich read to the class from the book she authored, Sweet Land of Liberty. She was accompanied by the mascot of the main character of her book, Ellis the Elephant, and security personnel hired by the Gingrich campaign to protect Callista and Newt Gingrich.

Michele Clark, owner of the Goddard School, said Callista Gingrich was the most affluent guest the day care, which has been in Lake in the Hills since 2006, ever has had. While it was stressful preparing for the visit, she was happy with the outcome.

“I’m really proud of my school. So to have the opportunity to showcase it to everyone in the community was a great experience," Clark said.

She hopes her school and students impressed upon Callista Gingrich that there are plenty of intelligent, enthusiastic and patriotic children and that early education is important to help shape our children's future.

"When it comes down to the politics and the campaign, there are so many negatives … and the future looks so bleak," Clark said. "But every day I come to this school, I’m so impressed by these children and what they are learning and discovering and their ideas and their thoughts, and I feel like our country is in good hands in the future."

to make another appearance today in Lake in the Hills. Newt Gingrich at a private hangar near the Lake in the Hills Airport, 8585 Pyott Road, at 2:30 p.m. today. 

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