Students have stories, books through RIF

Dressed in a lamb suit to highlight the story "Duck on a Bike", Reading Is Fundamental coordinator Mary Thomas read to a preschool class from St. James Family Center on Monday. Photo by Sunny Manary. Three times during the school year, students from Julius A. Wendt Elementary and St. James Family Center's Cathlamet and Rosburg pre-school programs participate in Reading is Fundamental, or RIF.

In RIF, students hear a story and are allowed to chose a free book.

Between Cowlitz County and Wahkiakum County, 30 schools participate.

“All the money comes from donations and all the people involved are volunteers,” said Mary Thomas, coordinator of RIF for Wahkiakum County. In two days, RIF will donate books to 195 students.

Each group comes to the United Church of Christ, which hosts the display, and spends 30 minutes listening to Thomas read a story. This season, Thomas dressed as a lamb to go along with the stories which she read.

After the story, each child can roam the tables stacked with books and make their selection. Each child gets a treat as well that will usually coordinate with the story being read.

“I didn’t know what lambs ate,” Thomas said, “so they get a marshmallow peanut and a frosted animal cookie.”

Thomas, a retired teacher, spent 27 years with the district. She has been involved with RIF for 16 years. She is, however, looking for someone to take her place. “But I’m just looking,” she said.