Sequim Gazette photos by Matthew Nash

Sequim Gazette staff

Free food plus free entertainment equaled a packed house Thursday night at Greywolf Elementary.

The school’s Parent Teacher Association sponsored a spaghetti dinner in conjunction with the annual Read-In event on Nov. 12.

“We usually get about 250 people for Math Night, so we hoped for the same or more,” Greywolf P.T.A. president Darci Ulin said.

“We’re excited that people jumped right in and made this work.”

More than 200 people ate dinner in the third- through fifth-graders’ classrooms and hallway.
Some families said the experience was different.

“We were just saying how weird it is to have dinner in the school hallway,” said Megan Hughes, who came with her four children to the event, three of whom attend the school.

After the dinner, children gathered to hear a story read by Bill Bentley, Sequim schools’ superintendent, while parents attended a P.T.A. meeting.

Cathy Raycraft, a second-grade teacher and recent Read-In coordinator, said the reading night usually hosted about 135 children.

“I’m really excited about this and I hope it does become an annual tradition,” she said about adding the spaghetti dinner.

Before and after the event, children’s books donated by Walmart were raffled.

Principal Patty Grenquist said the Read-In is one of three annual all-school evening events during the school year. The school will host a Math Night in February and science fair in March.