(Morganton, SC) Students at Hillcrest Elementary School returned from Thanksgiving break to find a big surprise. Inchy’s Bookworm Vending Machine, the district’s first book vending machine. This exciting addition aims to encourage literacy, support the school’s PBIS efforts, and get kids excited about reading.
What is Inchy’s Bookworm Vending Machine?
Inchy’s Bookworm Vending Machine dispenses books instead of snacks or drinks. It helps kids get excited about reading by offering lots of different books. The excitement is in picking what they want to read. At Cedar Springs Elementary, kids are all about the choice!
Alignment with School PBIS Initiatives:
This innovative technology aligns with Hillcrest Elementary School’s PBIS goals. Students are rewarded with a gold token to recognize good behavior or academic achievements. Then the tokens can be used to vend a book from Inchy’s Bookworm Vending Machine. This reinforces positive conduct while fostering a love for reading.
Hillcrest Media Coordinator Star Baughman said,
“Students all have learning differences, learning needs. I don’t want it tied to one specific thing. We are going to use this as positive behavior support in some cases, for our friends who are working to meet an attendance goal, or maybe that friend who needs a reading goal or a math goal, or maybe you’re a first grader or a third grader and you’ve been struggling with tying your shoes and you finally learned how. I want it to be something that we celebrate because everyone has different learning need.”
Funding for the Machine
Hillcrest staff turned to local businesses for fundraising. They recieved $2,500 from local businesses.That’s when Alumni Nancy VanNoppen and Jean Patton of VanNoppen Marketing stepped in to donate the rest of the cost.
“It’s awesome,” said Nancy VanNoppen. “We went to Hillcrest, we love Hillcrest, it’s very near and dear to our hearts and we’re so excited that they get to have the first book vending machine in the county.”
Excitement Around Reading
When the kids returned from Thanksgiving break, they found a big wrapped package beside the Christmas tree in the lobby. The excitement continued to grow. Teachers asked their classes what they thought was inside the mysterious gift. Guesses varied from snack machines to a time machine or arcade game. Thursday afternoon, the secret was revealed.
“I really tried to hype up the kids just because I’m so excited about reading and I want them to know what a great benefit this is,” Baughman said. “Not just, oh, we’ve got this, but our kids. This is for you guys because you work so hard. We have very little behavior problems here. The kids are always working, they’re reaching their goals.
“Our babies work so hard, and I want them to get every benefit they can, so that has been my vision from the first time I stepped into the school, was to create every single opportunity I could for these students.”
Invest In Your Student Too
Are you interested in bringing the magic of Inchy’s Bookworm Vending Machine to your school? Reach out to bookvending.com today for a quote and take a step toward promoting literacy and positive behavior in your school community.
Inchy’s Bookworm Vending Machine is not just a vending machine; it’s a gateway to a world of imagination and knowledge. By integrating reading incentives with PBIS initiatives, our school continues to foster a positive and enriching environment for students to thrive academically and emotionally.