ST. GEORGE — Despite the novelty of gathering with their entire school and the familiar faces of parents and siblings at the back of the room, students at Washington Elementary’s end-of-year assembly had eyes only for the row of 13 bicycles lined up at the foot of the stage.
The idle chatter of excited kids gave way as the assembly began with introductions by Principal Kelly Mitchell and a short flag ceremony led by the student council. Then, as payoff for months of effort inside and outside of the classroom, a lucky boy and girl from each grade was called up to receive their very own bike.
Leaders of St. George Masonic Lodge No. 33 joined school staff and local business partners in presenting the prizes for this year’s Bikes for Books incentive program, stopping by Washington Elementary on Friday as one of seven schools selected for the initiative’s fifth year of giving.
Sharing just how much the incentive program has helped literacy efforts at his school, Mitchell said, “Our kids have just taken off with reading. Some were reluctant at first – maybe they don’t usually read books or they’d rather play video games – but for a chance to win a bike they’ve really embraced it.”
The Masons gave each school the freedom to structure their incentive program as teachers and staff saw fit, so Washington Elementary opted for a random drawing where each student that read at least one book during the school year had a chance to win.
However, as librarian Susan Moody told St. George News, reading more books increased the winning odds. As part of the ticket system to enter the drawing, students could submit a short report (or an illustration in the case of students in grades K-2) for every book read during the course of the contest.
Several students at a time were featured on a library bulletin board with their photo beside a book report they submitted, and Moody said she made sure to celebrate each student she saw turning in a ticket.
“They were really motivated quite a lot just to get their photo on the wall,” Moody said. “One of the bicycles was here in the library, so they were reminded every week, and we tried to make it successful all throughout the year. It wasn’t just about the bike – it was the excitement and accomplishment of reading a whole book.”
2022 is the biggest year yet for Bikes for Books in Washington County. What began with just one school and a dozen bicycles in 2018 has grown to include seven schools and reward 87 readers in its latest iteration.
And, as initiator and coordinator David Reinitz of the St. George Masonic Lodge said, the program is gaining recognition throughout Utah.
“The seed was planted here, and it’s starting to spread through some of the other Masonic lodges through the state of Utah,” Reinitz said. “We took a big bite off this year, but I’ll tell you it’s making a big difference as more than 3,500 students in the area are learning the value of reading.”
At Washington Elementary alone, students reported reading over 1,300 books through the course of the initiative – with thousands more presumably read at each of the other participating schools.
The Masons’ program was not only more ambitious this year in terms of scope, but also more focused. Working with officials in the Washington County School District Foundation, the program exclusively donated to Title I schools this year: meaning each of the seven elementary schools has 40% or more attending children coming from low-income families.
The rationale behind this choice was to do the most good for the groups with greater than average needs, Reinitz said, something that was echoed in the remarks of District Communication Director Steven Dunham.
“Anything we can do to encourage literacy in our schools is so helpful for motivating children to succeed,” Dunham said. “We’re very grateful to the Masonic Lodge for their help in providing this program for our students.”
Progress in English fluency and reading comprehension is regularly tracked through assignments and end-of-year assessments, giving educators concrete data on the impact of literacy initiatives like Bikes for Books.
But what keeps Reinitz and other sponsors involved is often less tangible – but no less meaningful – whether it’s the smiles of grateful kids eager to explore new horizons on two wheels or the joy of fostering a love of reading.
“These kids may never have won anything like this,” Reinitz said. “They really appreciate the opportunity to have a bicycle, whether they ride it to school or whatever. It’s just a really exciting thing.”
Photo Gallery
The dual-purpose cafeteria and assembly room was packed with students, teachers and family members for the Friday morning assembly, Washington City, Utah, May 20, 2022 | Photo by Ammon Teare, St. George News Michael Moon was the emcee for the Masonic Lodge as he announced the winners for Bikes for Books 2022, Washington City, Utah, May 20, 2022 | Photo by Ammon Teare, St. George News Thirteen students at Washington Elementary School were awarded a bike, helmet, T-shirt and certificate for their participation in the Bikes for Books program, Washington City, Utah, May 20, 2022 | Photo by Ammon Teare, St. George News A boy and girl from each grade and one recipient of the teacher's choice award stand behind their bikes as student council members look on from atop the stage, Washington City, Utah, May 20, 2022 | Photo by Ammon Teare, St. George News Stephanie Wilber, Title I coordinator at Washington Elementary, congratulates Teacher's Choice Award winner Mason Talbot, Thirteen students at Washington Elementary School were awarded a bike, helmet, T-shirt and certificate for their participation in the Bikes for Books program, Washington City, Utah, May 20, 2022 | Photo by Ammon Teare, St. George News David Reinitz, former master of St. George Masonic Lodge #33 and coordinator of Bikes for Books, shares a laugh with one of bike winners at Washington Elementary, Washington City, Utah, May 20, 2022 | Photo by Ammon Teare, St. George News Bike recipients were chosen by a drawing in which students submitted tickets for each book they read and wrote a short report on, Washington City, Utah, May 20, 2022 | Photo by Ammon Teare, St. George News 
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