Plains celebrates reading with fun

PLAINS – Burrow races, piñatas, kindles and bikes were on everyone’s minds as the I Love to Read month celebration wrapped up the month of February.

The Plains gymnasium was filled with excited children all celebrating their love to read. During February, the kids of Plains cracked down and dove head first into their books in hopes of reading more than their peers.

The top readers of each class from kindergarten to sixth grade were able to take part in a burrow race against some of their administrators.

Superintendent Thom Chisholm, Elementary Principal Jim Holland, High School Principal Larry McDonald and Counselor Tyrell Allen all stepped up for the competition.

As the kids jumped on top of their stick burrows, they raced to the middle of the basketball court, handed off their burrow to a teammate and ran back to the beginning. The administrators had a more difficult task ahead of them. They had to run the entire way across the court, put on a poncho, shake maracas twice, saddle back up and book it to the beginning.

Laughter roared as the race began. The kids beat out their older competition with each bout and later the administrators were pitted against each other to see who could take the win.

Holland was the winner by default after McDonald’s burrow took to the stands and Chisholm got a false head start.

Once the burrow races were completed, it was time for the teachers to give their all against a piñata that was created by Melissa Martin’s Spanish class.

The teachers flexed their muscles and proved to be too much for the piñata. Time after time the piñata hit the floor until the teachers resorted to swinging at it while it was stationed on the ground.

Finally the piñata exploded, sending bouncy balls all over the gymnasium. As the teachers scrambled to collect the bouncy balls for their classrooms, the kids cheered on their favorites.

Once the fun was complete, it was time for the prizes to be handed out.

Eight kindles and one bicycle were up for grabs thanks to Ponemah #63 Masonic Lodge.

According to Chisholm who is also the Grand Master for the State of Montana Masonic Lodges, the kindles and bicycle were made available through a charitable foundation called the Montana Masonic Foundation.

Chisholm happens to be the president of that foundation as well.

The foundation has a charitable reading program, which is Bikes for Books Program. The program has been running since 2003 with the ultimate goal of getting kids off the couch and onto the streets exercising.

“We encourage local lodges to get involved with the school’s reading program and help support these kinds of things,” Chisholm said.

He explained the local lodges match the funds for the bicycles and kindles.

“Local area lodges paid for half and the foundation paid for the other half,” Chisholm said.

This year the focus has been switched to Kindles in order to add a new element to the program.

“Kids like Kindles more than bikes,” Chisholm said.

Within the next couple years, the push will focus more heavily on the Kindles because according to Chisholm, that is where the teachers will want to see the focus.

The Kindle for Kids Program gave away eight Kindles to the students, while the Bike for Books program gave away one bike.

Kindle winners: Gunnar Gannarelli, Brady Schrenk, Gabe Worrall, Payton Butcher,

McKenna O'lexie, Mariah Smith, Charlie Rehbein, Nathan Feliksa.

Bicycle winner: Jake Weyers

Top two readers per grade: Kindergarten - Katelyn Subatch and Jullian Keeney; First grade - Gavin Shrenk and Kris Belknap; Second grade - Annika Rivinius and Will Tatum; Third grade - Gunnar Gannarelli and Brady Schrenk; Fourth grade - Maddy Madden and Gena Deschamps; Fifth grade - Mykenzi Blood and Rebecca Madden; Sixth grade - Treydon Brouillette and Nathan Feliksa.