PRINCETON, WV (WOAY) – This week, the Melrose Elementary School is conducting their yearly Market Day fundraiser, where students craft their own products to sell to their classmates. The fundraiser is meant to also act as a learning experience in economics.
The fundraiser is meant to raise money for the fifth grade class’ annual field trip, where they’ll be going to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee to see the Wonderworks and Ripley’s Aquarium.
Amber Riffe, a fifth grade teacher at Melrose Elementary says the fundraiser is a great learning experience that teaches students about entrepreneurship.
“They have a 15 dollar budget where they have to spend their 15 dollars to create their product. And then they have to choose what they want to sell it for,” Riffe said.
Riffe also mentioned how the fundraiser is beneficial for the whole school. All students can participate in buying what the fifth graders made, and it teaches children about the importance of budgeting.
“If sometimes they pick up a few extra items that they don’t have money for, they have to figure out what their budget is and what they wanna put back, what they’d rather have. So not only does it teach our students in fifth grade that did the project, but our students who are buying as well.”
Rhonda Thomas, another teacher at Melrose Elementary, looks towards the educational side of the fundraiser. She believes children need to learn about money at a young age to be better prepared for their futures.
“I think if we do that when these kids are younger, when they’re older they’re more ready for society and growing up and going out in the workplace. I think sometimes we fail at that,” Thomas said.
Thomas also thinks the fundraiser is a good chance for the students to really apply themselves and do something independent. She believes the children can do a lot more and be much more creative than people tend to think.
“Sometimes I think that we don’t give kids enough credit. That they can do way more than what we expect them to do. And I think it’s important to give them opportunities like this to do it.”
According to Thomas, the kids performed well above expectations and she’s excited that they have been given this incredible education opportunity to learn about the real world.
“I didn’t know what to expect, this is my first year teaching here. This is amazing, I’ve been totally blessed watching these kids make things and sell them, and do the things that they’ve done.”
The fundraiser will last until this Friday, where hopefully the kids will raise enough money to attend their yearly field trip.
