Fredericksburg Standard Radio Post - March 6, 2024
Students at Stonewall Elementary will kick off Read Across America week with a new book vending machine.
Principal Maria Hudgins is excited to share this opportunity with her students. “Our students now have the choice to choose a book they want to read,” she said. “Our goal is for every student to earn the opportunity to curl up and get lost in a good book.”
The book vending machine was provided through a grant request Hudgins wrote to Fredericksburg Independent School District’s Education Foundation in the fall.
“Reading is the key to education and if we can light that spark for our students, we’re supporting their future,” Hudgins said.
The machine is filled with new fiction and non-fiction books appropriate for elementary students on multiple reading levels.
First grader Alyana Delarosa was the first student to earn a token for reaching her reading goal.
“I got my token because I am a leader.” Alyana said. “I can read all my first-grade sight-words and I’m already on my second- grade list.”
The book vending machine comes just in time for Stonewall students to celebrate Read Across America Week with a book of their choice. Stonewall Elementary is the smallest campus in FISD with approximately 100 students from Kinder to 5th grade.
“Students earn tokens for the machine by attaining their own personal reading goal they set for themselves at the beginning of the school year. This is great because it teaches students to love reading and gives them a reward to choose a book that they want to read,” said FISD Superintendent Joe Rodriguez.
The National Education Association launched Read Across America in 1998 as a year-round program to celebrate reading. Given Dr. Seuss’ impact on the reading world, his birthday (March 2) was declared Read Across America Day. This also commences Read Across America Week and Read Across America Month.
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