First off, I need to be completely honest with you. I love my new job, but I miss classroom teaching more than I imagined I would. I was having one of those mornings where I was thinking to myself, "Did I make a mistake? Should I try to go back to the classroom next year?" And then the Oakway Mall saved my day! Ms. Prater (who is an AMAZING teacher, by the way!) came to my office door and said, "I'm so glad you're here. The Oakway Mall is open today and we were hoping you would be here to see it!"The Oakway Mall is Oakway Intermediate School's awesome whole school event that occurs 4 times a year. Oakway Intermediate School adopted my Money Cents For Kids program in 2012, and they have done a BEAUTIFUL job implementing the program. I adore seeing the 4th and 5th grade students walking down the hallways with their Money Cents For Kids wallets at Oakway. AND their AWESOME principal, Ann Douglas, reported recently that the school's behavior referrals have been cut in half since starting the program last year. That's what it's all about!
I'm sure you're wanting to hear more about the Oakway Mall now, right? When Ms. Douglas came over the intercom to announce that all store owners could go to the 4th grade hall and set up their stores the excitement could be felt in the air. I could see kids storming up the sidewalk from my office window. They had the biggest smiles on their faces and looked to be on a mission with all of their inventory in hand. I have to say that I was amazed at the kids' creativity. My favorite store name had to be "Duck Tape Commander." The store sold all things made of duck tape. As a fan of Duck Dynasty, this store definitely got my attention, along with just about every other shopper at the mall!
A few minutes into my shopping experience, I was approached by Braxton who asked me to watch his store for a few minutes. We negotiated a small salary for my work and he was off to shop. I was selling merchandise for him like someone after "Employee of the Week." The funniest thing happened when he came back though. I was in the middle of a transaction with a customer when the customer asked me how much I was charging for the tic-tac-toe game. I told him that it was $6.00. Braxton walked up and said, "No way, I'm only charging $1.00 for that!" Oh goodness, Braxton. Hush up and take the extra money I just made you!
Once I walked away with my salary from Braxton's store, I was a shopping woman! I only had $5.00 to spend so I had to choose wisely. Ms. Douglas, the principal, pointed out the most amazing change purse made solely from duck tape that I just had to have. It was perfect for holding credit cards.
I saw a ton of amazing work while shopping at the Oakway Mall. I even saw a group of children who had made English to Spanish cards to help their classmates learn Spanish. Too cool!
The bank was open in the hallway where Ms. LeCroy was making change for students who needed smaller bills to shop. She was VERY official looking too! Ms. LeCroy was so busy that it was difficult to even snap a quick picture of her!
At the end of the year, the Oakway Mall will employ those students who are in debt in their Food Court. This gives those students an opportunity to work off their debt in a productive way. It also keeps them from having idle hands while stores are open, which is a good thing. The Food Court is school sponsored. The office provides all kinds of pre-packaged choices for shoppers needing a snack. Too cute, isn't it?
I LOVE the enthusiasm Oakway Intermediate has for the Money Cents For Kids program. I saw this "Fines & Fees" poster on the 4th grade hall and had to snap a picture of it. It just warmed my heart. The kids at Oakway Intermediate are getting an outstanding education under an incredibly dedicated and passionate faculty and administration. Oakway Intermediate kids are lucky kids, for sure.
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