The payoff of the Rose Park Elementary School read-a-thon has coincidentally come during the school closures and worked out to be good timing for students.
The reward has Rose Park Elementary School Principal Greg Senitte setting up his campsite on the roof of the Billings school.
He is fulfilling his end of the deal of the read-a-thon after students read for 73,400 minutes and raised $6,804.
"Pretty much fun because our whole school participated to make him stay on the roof tonight," said Ezra Benkley, a second grader who greeted Senitte on Wednesday night.
"I had my fifth graders vote on what they'd like to see me do if they met their goal," Senitte said. "And they chose to have me spend the night on the roof, so here I am."
Senitte meets with the kids every Wednesday for some reading on Zoom during the school closure.
On Wednesday morning, they had some questions and concerns, which included boredom.
Sennite has set up so he can have a little fun while he's on the roof.
"I do have a golf chipping game I've got going on over here," Senitte said. "So I've chipped a little bit. Got to keep working on the golf game, which I need a lot of help with that. So far it's been good."
Mr. Senitte says the read-a-thon helps inspire the students.
"It's really fun," said Benkley. "I love reading."
"Just to see them drive by, wave, that's been great," Senitte said. "So a little positive in this time.
The money raised by the Read-A-Thon goes to the Rose Park Parent Teacher Association.
