Schools celebrate local reading program

Students in Trout Creek and Thompson Falls were rewarded for reading last week. Students received Kindles from the Running Start reading program, coordinated by the Thompson Falls Woman's Club. The Masonic Lodge #70 provides Kindles that are given to students in grades K-6. "Students fill out a reading log in order to be eligible," according to Thompson Falls Elementary principal Len Dorscher. Each completed reading log gets a student entered into the drawing for the Kindle, with one tablet awarded per grade level.

"The first graders read the most books. They logged 1,281 books," Dorscher said. Older students logged the amount of chapters that they completed. "The student who read the most chapters, 399, is Maiko Pavlik," Dorscher reported during the presentation last Wednesday. The Kindle recipients were Noah Scharfe, sixth grade; Nolan Wilkes, fifth; Elena Buys, fourth; Tristan Bewick, third; Delaynee Dean, second; Christine Fisher, first; and Emmett Fairbank, kindergarten.

The presenters of the Kindles for both schools were Mason Lodge #70 Grand Master Andrew Moore, Mason Master Kenn Owen from Noxon, and Steve Eberhardt, Mason Secretary from Plains. The reading program that is run by the TFWC was represented by Marsha Hart, President Cathay Mills, and Tammy Dean.

"Eileen Stone was a teacher and member who started the program 29 years ago," Dean said, adding that the program was originally for first and second grade students. Books were donated to the schools by the TFWC and the First Security Bank, with each student receiving a free book at the kickoff of the event in April. Valley Bank of Thompson Falls provided ice cream for the elementary students to celebrate their accomplishments.

"We have nine great readers who received the Kindle Fire 7's as rewards for their excellence. Several parents were in attendance to receive accolades with their children," said Trout Creek Principal Carolyn Nesbitt.

The students awarded Kindles in Trout Creek included: first grade, Lucas Kinsman; second, Selah Steinhoff; third, Bobbie McKenzie and Camryn Eaton; fourth, Silas Krick and Louis Hannum; fifth, Damion Conley; sixth, ShayLyn Stein; and eighth, Wyatt Matthew.