My Home Library Event and “Inchy the Bookworm” Vending Machine Come to Berg Elementary

Berg students with their free book bags and Marathon Oil volunteers

By:  Kristi Foster, Reading Interventionist at Berg Elementary School

Ensuring that children are strong and confident readers is of utmost importance.  Access to books in the home is critical for students’ reading success and future. That is why we were pleased to partner with the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation to bring their My Home Library program to Berg Elementary School!

My Home Library is an initiative of the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation, which provides students with face-to-face access to books to help build their own home library. Thanks to their generosity, as well as, Marathon Oil, each student at Berg received 6 brand new books for FREE!

Our book distribution took place on February 10 in Berg’s Library! Volunteers from Marathon Oil were able to join and help in this celebration of literacy. They handed out free books, book bags, and bookmarks to all Kindergarten through 5th grade students. Marathon Oil even spoiled our teachers with some goodie bags! They had an interactive read-aloud for our K-2 students and a Q&A session for our 3-5 students.

It was an exciting opportunity and a great way for students to start building their home library. I still hear students talking about their new books! I’m in awe of the generosity in our very own community as well as organizations far away!

Another exciting literacy event at Berg Elementary School was the ribbon cutting ceremony for the “Inchy the Bookworm” vending machine! Kristi Foster and Troy Kuntz were awarded a grant from the Dickinson Public Schools Foundation to purchase the book vending machine. All students and staff were able to attend the ribbon cutting ceremony on March 16, where six lucky students (one student from each grade level) were chosen to be the first recipients of brand-new books!

The machine is operated using “golden tokens”. Tokens can be earned for PAWSitive behavior and academics, notable achievement awards, birthday/half birthday celebrations, and other monthly opportunities. We continue looking for opportunities to help build students home libraries! The excitement around literacy is a buzz at Berg! Thank you to the Dickinson Public Schools Foundation for making this event possible for our students!