What do you do to celebrate your school’s 20th Year of Education? Old Town Elementary School wasn’t quite sure what to do to spark their students and make them appreciate all the wonderful things the school has offered over the course of 20 years, but School librarian Michelle Reesman knew just what to do. She approached the school’s Parent Teacher Club and asked the team to purchase a personalized book vending machine to support the students’ pro-social behavior plan during the new school year.
The Book Vending Machine sits in the main hallway at Old Town Elementary School and brightens each student’s face as they walk by and admire all the books to win. Each month the students and their teacher focus on a new characteristic/behavior. All the students work towards those skills in their classrooms with read-alouds, lessons, and activities to support a growth mindset. At the end of the month, students are chosen from each classroom that exemplifies those characteristics and are given a token to use in the Book Vending Machine. The selection of the book, the token dropped in, and the excitement of reaching in and getting the book are more special than you can imagine.
“On this 20th anniversary year at Old Town Elementary, we believe we have hit the sweet spot with the purchase of our Book Vending Machine,” said Old Town Elementary School Principal Jeanna Tool. “The bright and shiny machine is just a small sample of how our school continues to reach for new and exciting activities to benefit our learners. We are grateful for a community that supports and invests in our students.”
Here’s to 20 more years of fun~!
This story was contributed by Old Town Elementary School. To submit a good news story or idea to the Maine DOE please email Rachel Paling at rachel.paling@maine.gov.