There are some new machines in the lunch rooms at the Stuart and Dexter Elementary buildings in the West Central Valley Community School District.

West Central Valley Parent/Teacher Organization member Lisa Hemphill says that the new book vending machines that the PTO got for the buildings have been installed for a few weeks, and that everyone was excited when they were finally powered on. She tells Raccoon Valley Radio how the machines work, and how students can get a book.

“Right now, it is teacher recommended students. So each teacher picks one student a week who has shown positive behavior, being safe, respectful and responsible in the classroom, in the hallways and throughout the school. And then we give our recommendations to our building principal, and they give them their reward with their token to use during lunchtime on Fridays.”

Hemphill mentions that the initial excitement about the machines from the students hasn’t gone away either.

“Once they started getting their books, now they are talking about, ‘What book did you get?’ And, ‘I hope I get such and such book,’ that they already see in the machine. So yes, they are still talking about them. The machines even talk when you put your coin in. It’ll say, ‘One book. Coming right up.’”

On behalf of the PTO Hemphill is thankful to the School Resource Officer and Stuart Police Sergeant Katie Guisinger and the Stuart Police Department Community Programs for making a donation so that they could make sure that the machines were filled with books from the start. She adds that depending on how well things continue, they may look at putting book vending machines in the middle and high school buildings as well, so long as there is interest for them.