Gators Snack on Books
Greenwood Elementary
This grant addresses reading learning loss, reengaging students with the school's core values and promoting social/emotional growth by providing incentive books for all students.
Students have two options to get to pick books from the vending machine:
- Every month, each classroom teacher picks one student who is exhibiting amazing reading growth. The criteria allows the teacher to decide how they want to evaluate the process, so that all students are eligible to receive the award. These students are recognized at a reading ceremony, where they are given a vending machine certificate. They can bring the certificate to the library and exchange it for a token, which they then use to select a book. A label is placed in their book that states why their teacher chose them to receive the award.
- Instructional assistants and other school employees were provided certificates for the vending machine and asked to give them to a student that they caught showing amazing Gator values. A few of them have given out their certificates and immediately brought their student to the library, and the assistants were just as excited as the students about the new books.
Greenwood has given away 82 books from the vending machine so far this school year. It has been amazing to see students get excited about receiving books as a reward, and the whole process has a "cool factor" that is incredible.
Funding Amount: $4,000
Number impacted: 707
Grant recipients: Amy Coward-Librarian, Jordan Truda-Student Support Teacher, & Danny Jones-Innovative Learning Coach
“The vending machine has been a huge hit with Greenwood students! From the day that it was installed in the library to now, students constantly check for updated titles and ask how they can receive a book.”
Amy Coward, Librarian