On Wednesday, Feb. 15, NJEA Vice President Steve Beatty attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a book vending machine at the Hawthorne Park Elementary School in Willingboro. The book vending machine, situated in a central hallway of the school just outside the library, was filled with new books for the students to select. Students will be able to choose books after earning tokens by demonstrating positive behavior as part of the school’s Positive Behavior Supports in Schools (PBSIS) program. Congressman Andy Kim, Felicia Hopson, Director of the Burlington County Board of Commissioners, and Dr. Malcolm X Outlaw, Superintendent of the Willingboro School District, also joined Hawthorne Elementary School principal, Ruhi Ahmed, to help unveil the new book vending machine.
Beatty praised the work of Willingboro Education Association (WEA) members and their contributions to bringing the new book vending machine to the district. He commended the staff for finding creative and innovative ways to support literacy. “We all are here for the same reason: we share a deep commitment to the success of every student. Regardless of their background, the color of their skin, or the zip code where they live, we all understand that students – and what they need – are at the center of everything we do as educators,” said Beatty, addressing the room filled with students, parents, community members and local political leaders. “Every student deserves a great education in a safe and healthy public school with all the resources they need to succeed. This is how great education happens. We’re able to inspire our children to be lifelong learners. By implementing programs like this, you are helping inspire the next generation of artists, innovators, inventors, and leaders.”
Speaking after Beatty, Rep. Kim celebrated the student-focused initiative and praised it as a creative way for the school to cultivate a love of learning. “I am somebody that spent my entire K through 12 years in public schools in this congressional district, and I now have a 5- and 7-year-old attending public schools. As a parent and as a community member, I think this project is fantastic,” said Kim. “We have to keep instilling in kids a love of learning and reading. This is all about the kids. Let’s continue to think about how we can innovate and give back to our kids to give them every opportunity to learn and grow.”
The student council president of Hawthorne Elementary School read an inspirational poem before cutting the ribbon on the book vending machine. The teachers and educational support professionals who helped bring the book vending machine to the school surrounded the class president as she cut the ribbon. The WEA members present then helped three students, each who had previously earned tokens for displaying positive behaviors in school, select the first three books. Everyone cheered as machine distributed the inaugural book selections.