On Thursday, January 11, 2024, Warwick Neck Elementary welcomed a book vending machine to its school library. It dispenses brand-new Scholastic books, for free, that students can keep and enjoy. The machine is branded with the school’s logo, mascot, and taglines and includes specialized tokens that are inserted to receive age appropriate books of choice.
All students will have the opportunity to receive a vending machine token and select a book on their birthday and through good or expected behaviors that can earn them a book token.
(The school staff started with September birthdays on the day of installation and will work their way through over the coming days until everyone is caught up with January birthdays. Students who celebrate during the summertime will have their birthday recognized before then.)
The school community extends is sincere appreciation to the 2022-2023 Warwick Neck PTA Executive Board, along with donations from The Feinstein Foundation and the Robert J. Shapiro Fund for Warwick Public Schools, to make this a reality for Warwick Neck students. It took many months of design work, supply chain issues, and delivery complications extending beyond last school year -- but it finally arrived!
[Pictured: School Principal, Mr. Galligan, celebrates with second grade student, Luka, who earned a book token. Luka was one of the first students to retrieve a book from the vending machine after its installation on Thursday, January 11, 2024.]