ELY – Washington Elementary students received a new vending machine last week. But they can’t use their allowance money on juice boxes, candy bars and other junk food.
This vending machine dispenses only books. And this vending machine doesn’t take money. It takes golden tokens that students can earn through the school’s Paw Pride program by being respectful, responsible, cooperative and safe.
The Ely Community Resource’s initiative was unveiled last Thursday during a ribbon-cutting ceremony. ECR’s Julie Hignell, Jill Swanson and Janine LaMontagne, along with K-5 Principal Anne Oelke and third-grade students Elliot Eastham and Violet Franciskovich, marked the introduction of the new machine in the school hallway near the school office.
“Thanks to our ‘Give to the Max’ donors, Northland Foundation, the Ely Rotary Club, and the Ely Kiwanis Club for helping us make this happen,” Hignell said. “This is a way to encourage the enjoyment of reading and to reinforce positive behavior for our students.”
Oelke explained that staff and teachers are encouraged to “catch” students being respectful, honest, helpful, and safe through the school’s Paw Pride program.
“Those behaviors are celebrated here at Washington School and this is a fun way to tell our students that we appreciate them,” she said. “Students receive tokens that they can use in the vending machine to get a book.”
Only 100 tokens are available so they will likely go fast with all the good behavior going on around the school. Hignell revealed that tokens can be recycled and used again.
But the machine could soon be empty of books so additional titles will always be needed.
“More books will be purchased through ECR to fill the vending machine,” she said.
If you are interested in helping provide books for the vending machine, monetary donations can be sent to Ely Community Resource, 111 S. 4th Ave E. Ely, MN 55731, Attn: Book Vending Machine. More info at https://www.loc8nearme.com/minnesota/ely/ely-community-resource-inc/6126152/.