In today’s tough economic climate, understanding finances at an early age is key.
Students at Tabernacle Elementary School understand that.
Long before the kids sweep into middle school, high school, college and the “real world,” they form businesses in the third-grade, an endeavor they look forward to for years.
The school has been hosting a sale in June for about 15 years, said retired teacher Ann Franzen.
“They’re very, very creative with this,” she said.
The kids form businesses. They name their businesses, make slogans and even create business cards.
“They love their business cards,” said Franzen.
The sale runs in the school on June 7 and June 8 for three hours in the mornings and about an hour and a half in the afternoons, said third-grade teacher Krista Bloomquist, who is in her fifth year of teaching in the district.
There are about 90 third-graders.
In the May edition of “Paterson’s Post,” a monthly newsletter available on the school website, Dr. Gerald Paterson, principal, writes, “The third-grade is beginning to work on their economics unit in preparation for the third-grade sale. Businesses are being created as we discuss supply and demand and merchandise quality.”
This year, the school may take the festivities outdoors as they have sometimes done in the past, Bloomquist said, depending on the weather.
“It’s very large,” she said.
Every student from every class comes to the sale. Even the fifth-grade students at the middle school take a trip down memory lane and stop in to shop.
Parent volunteers come out to help and donations from the community contribute to the sale’s success.
Many of the sales items are donations from parents and teachers. Items are also purchased with a money reserve from the prior year.
“It all comes full circle,” she said.
Items tend to include crafts, baked goods and prizes for games.
In the past, parents have sent in materials for slime, sno cones, and pet rocks too.
A special “junk” store is also created.
“All of the proceeds from the sale go toward their fourth-grade environmental trip,” she said.
The sale helps students learn both mathematics and writing skills, Bloomquist explained.
“The kids enjoy it,” she said.
On the math side, they learn how to make change, how to price items correctly to make a profit, what products sell better than others and about supply and demand.
“We’re responsible for teaching the kids about the economy,” she said.
Advertisements help the creative juices run in regard to writing abilities — and those posters go up around the school prior to the sale.
About a week prior to the sale, a notice is sent home to the parents.
“We let them know what kind of businesses we’re having,” she said, and the price range of the items.
Parents give them money to bring and the kids spend with economics in mind.
“It always turns out very, very well,” she said. “It’s really cool. The kids love it.”
No banks will be broken, either, said Bloomquist.
“We try to keep it cheap,” she said.
Items will range in price from 10¢ to $5.
“The kids look forward to this like Christmas,” said Franzen.
