For a few weeks A large, colorful box with huge questions marks greeted the students of Andalusia Primary School the following Thursday, the contents were exposed.
In the days leading up to the unveiling students came up with their own theories about what might be in the box. The possibilities varied from a claw-like prize game to a robotic device that could complete homework for students. The most surprising thing was a vending machine that offered students books for free to exchange tokens for points they get for doing their best work or being a leader during their classes.
The machine’s funding was made available through the Andalusia City Schools Foundation.
AES librarian Angie Bowden led the unveiling and ribbon cutting. The event was also attended by students who were selected by their reading performance. The students who participated either received more AR (accelerated reading) points in their classes or are the ones with the highest scores on AR test questions.
Two elementary school students from the older grades were also present to demonstrate to younger pupils how the machine functions. Emma Sightler, a fifth grader, was picked because she earned more than 500 AR points during her fourth grader. Jun Kim, a sixth grader, was also picked because he earned 500 AR points throughout his fifth and fourth grades.
“We got this box as well as the object that was inside in December, however we figured it was amusing to let our students develop a curiosity. Since then, kids have speculated that it could be a giant Playstation video game or it could be a robot and some were convinced the item was actually a claw device while others believed it was a device for homework,” Bowden said.
Following the grand unveiling Director Dr. Daniel Shakespeare and AES Principal Victoria Anderson cut a ribbon to officially open the machine for students to utilize the.
The books in the machine are intended for students in the Pre-K to 3rd grade levels of reading. Students can receive gold tokens that can use with the machine by requesting it from their teachers on the basis of positive leadership, kindness towards other people, a sense of humor and other positive behaviors as well as academic achievements.
Bowden said to the students “When you take that book out, it’s an item you can keep. This is different than finding a book at the library, which has to be returned. Your responsibility today is to inform your fellow students in your class the things you saw inside this huge box today and how they will be able to make use of the box,” Bowden said.
She said that awarding tokens will be used in order to acknowledge both big as well as small-scale student achievements and that the intention is that all students be able to choose an appropriate book prior to the close this school term.
“Studies have demonstrated that students who read independently become more proficient readers, have higher scores on tests of achievement, and gain more knowledge of content. We would like all of our children to be able at AES to be a successful, independent readers,” Bowden said.
The evening concluded with Sightler reading an essay about reading and books.
Bowden stated that the machine would be filled often with books bought through the ACS Foundation.
With its vibrant display and interactive capabilities, Bowden said she hopes it can bring more excitement for students.
“Everyday when the kids arrive at school, they’ll be able to walk by it without a second thought and I’m hoping it’ll inspire them to continue reading,” she said.
The article New equipment creates excitement for students in Andalusia Elementary was first published in The Andalusia Star-News.
