It was not a typical day at school for the students at John Philip Sousa Middle School 142 in the Bronx, where Britney Spears made an appearance to present a $10,000 check benefiting the school’s music program. Though school was not actually in session (due to the Jewish holiday), she greeted kids, signed autographs and posed for photos.  Needless to say, the entire neighborhood was in a stir.  She was dressed in a sophisticated (and child appropriate) blue dress and brown heels.

Britney is obviously working hard at this comeback.  She looks great, but now she needs to reach out to and reconnect with her fans, which is exactly what she did here.  It’s obvious that this is all for positive publicity, but it’s still nice to see.  Being a mother, I imagine she really enjoyed doing this.  Plus, you can’t hate on the girl for trying to make up for her mistakes.  For all those fans wishing for the good old days when Britney was THE ‘Princess of Pop,’ your wishes may be coming true.

Britney’s new album, ‘Circus,’ releases this December, and she is currently preparing her 2009 world tour.