At the beginning of the school year I started a new reward program in the library. Inspired by XBox 360 Achievements, students have been “unlocking” library achievements all year. They earned points (written on funky patterned badges cut out from scrapbooking paper) for lining up perfectly, coming in 1st, 2nd, or 3rd in any of our library games, cleaning up without being asked twice, showing me their library bookmark from the beginning of the year, etc.

So the last Monday before school ended, I had an Achievement Party in the library for the student from each class (grades 1-5) who earned the most Achievements this year. I bought donuts and Munchkins, juice. But the big event was the Wii I brought from home.

I borrowed a projector from the computer teacher and hooked it up to the Wii, then we played New Super Mario Bros. on the big screen in the library. The kids had a really great time, although most of the 5th graders just wanted to sit around talking. But as one little 1st grader told me as he was leaving the party, “This was the best day of my life!” I am really going to miss those kids next year!