Plains kids rewarded for reading

Reading is a primary path to knowledge, but it's also a way to get a new bike. That's how five kids at Plains Elementary School did it, courtesy of Masonic Ponemah Lodge 63 in Plains Friday afternoon. And as a bonus, the kids were treated by seeing chocolate pudding smudged on the faces of school staff members.

Chief coordinator of February's "I Love To Read Program" Gena Ferlan wasn't sure if Principal Jim Holland got more pudding in his mouth or up his nose during the "Minute To Win It" competition as part of the annual reading program finale.

Two hundred and twenty six students from kindergarten to sixth grade at Plains School had one month to read as many books as possible. The two top winners of the kindergarten through second grade received snacks, a free book, and their photos were put up on the library wall. The names of the two winners from third to sixth were drawn for a bike. The winners were: Zayden Allen, Gracie Bower, Aubree Butcher, Kylan Bostick and Aidan Lyman.

Amy Hill was the top reader of the school, earning 180 points for reading more than 20 books in February. The sixth-grader said she likes reading fantasy books, including the six books of the Pegasus series.

The kids received points from .5 to 30, based on the difficulty level of the books, said Ferlan, the Title 1 teacher who has run the I Love To Read Program for the last nine years.

Five Masons participated in the school assembly – Tommy Tompkins, Tommy Tompkins Jr., Michael Murray, Bill Burrell, master of the local lodge, and Thom Chisholm, past grand master and Plains School superintendent. The Mason program, "Bikes For Books and Kindles for Kids," have alternated between bikes and electronic readers, but Ferlan said they wanted bikes because in the past some kids didn't have the needed internet service for the Kindles. "As much as we'd like them to read, we also want them to get out on the bikes and exercise and be kids," said Ferlan, who also teaches special education.

The money for the bikes comes from the local Masonic lodge and the Montana Masonic Foundation, said Chisholm. The foundation has donated some $50,000 for the bike program this year, he said, adding that the foundation has also given $73,000 through its educational grant program, which covers drama, music, library, and science.

"The goal behind the reading program is to get kids to read more," said Ferlan. Even if they regularly read fiction, reading helps them learn such things as spelling, composition, punctuation, and even history and science.

In keeping with this year's theme, "Paws To Read," the students were treated to a show by the Huckleberry Hounds agility dogs from the Sanders County Dog Training Club. Members Kathryn Hawkins and her dogs "Clara" and "Ziggy," Val Walker and "Sam," and Michelle Greiner and "Happy" demonstrated several agility feats, which included a special dance routine by "Clara."

The students also had the chance to watch the annual "A Minute To Win It" competition, which was made up of student and school staff member teams. In the first "Not My Hands" contest, the student sat in a chair with their hands at their sides. It was the role of the staff member from behind to supply the hands and feed the students cereal and a cup of water. The first one done in a minute's time was high school Principal Kevin Meredith and Ellianna O'Brien of the first grade.

In round two, the staff member sat in the chair and the student did the feeding. However, the dry cereal was replaced with chocolate pudding. They also had to eat two cookies shaped like dog treats and finish the cup of water.

"Just do it as fast as you can; we're going to win this," said elementary school Principal Jim Holland to fifth-grader Kimbre O'Brien. And they did, even at the expense of a chocolate face on Holland, who has been a volunteer for the contests since they began. "A sucker is what you'd call it, but it's good for morale," said Holland. "The cookies were good, but I think I swallowed them whole."