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CMS-West seventh graders learn how to handle money
By Jim Kilpatrick, jkilpatrick@acnpaper.com
The Advanced Problem Solving students in 7th grade at Coppell Middle School West had the opportunity to be an “adult for a day” on a recent field trip to Finance Park.
The program was developed by Junior Achievement and is funded by Capital One. Students, along with their teacher, Rhonda Hermanski, spend several weeks in class learning about personal finance and studying topics such as debit and credit, types of investments, taxes, writing checks, maintaining a checkbook, and budgeting. The unit culminates in a day at Finance Park, a mobile unit that visits the Dallas area for only one month out of the year.
Each student receives a “life situation” card that tells them who they are for the project including age, occupation, income, marital status, ages of children if any and more.
The Finance Park unit features interactive computer kiosks for each budget category, housing, entertainment, clothing, transportation, savings, philanthropy and more.
Students are given choices based on their life situations and must make appropriate decisions in order to balance by the end of the day.
“CMS-West has participated in this program for the past three years and each time it has proven to be a real eye opening and valuable experience for the students,” said Vern Edin, CMS-West principal.
He added that students came early on Thursday and Friday mornings to experience various realistic simulations.
“I really got a lot out of this visit to the Finance Park,” said Madyline Baucum, a seventh grade students. “All of my friends were envious of my situation because I received the most money from the ‘life situation card.’ However, I realized that even with a lot of money, you can never be too careful.”
She added that it was important to figure how to spend money wisely.
“Figuring out how to spend each dollar every month involved much planning and thought,” Baucum said. “Through this real-life simulation experience, I have learned that I had better begin planning for my future and be ready for unexpected financial issues. I really enjoyed attending the Finance Park and would recommend such an experience to any middle school student.”
Parent chaperones also attended with more than 100 students and were impressed with the real-life experiences that students were put into with assistance from Capitol One Bank volunteers.
“Thank you for allowing us to attend the Finance Park field trip as chaperones,” said Tamra Walker, a parent volunteer. “My husband Jason and I had a wonderful time observing the kids as they learned in this hands-on environment. This topic is such a passion for our family and we were extremely impressed by the facilities and the thoroughness of the learning tools.”
She added that it was great for the students to have a chance to look at the realities of budgeting in such a high-tech way.
“Learning at this age that proper management of finances comes with great responsibility and that it is all about our choices is an invaluable life skill to equip all students with prior to sending them out into the world,” Walker said. “It’s our deep desire to see this program expand so that every child leaves Coppell Independent School District with this wonderful instruction.”
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