Author: Tammy Lane • First Posted: Friday, April 01, 2011

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Cassidy fifth-graders watched their money closely in the "Dollars & Sense" exercise, which taught them about monthly budgeting.

Under the district’s broad umbrella of financial literacy, Cassidy fifth-graders have learned to handle money with common sense through a program modeled after the middle schools’ Reality Store: The Game of Life.

In “Dollars & Sense,” the youngsters were assigned careers based on randomly drawn GPA’s and were given a wallet-size transaction register to keep track of checks written for monthly expenses. As they rotated among various booths to shop for clothing, pick out cars and donate to charity, the impact of intangibles like insurance and mortgages struck home.

“I got a good job and thought I’d have a lot of money, but I lost a lot to taxes,” said 11-year-old Will Feese, who prioritized his wants and his needs. “You’ve got to save up to get what you really want,” he added.

In previous years, the exercise at Cassidy involved giving the kids a small allowance for simple decisions like paying for pet supplies and mall excursions. This year, however, teachers wanted “Dollars & Sense” to be a more rigorous, real-world experience.

“They’re old enough to handle it,” said parent Kimberly Collins, who described herself as a frugal money manager. “It’s better for them to make a $100 mistake now than a $10,000 mistake later.”

Julie Jacobs, who staffed the Transportation booth, said while her son is already money-conscious, “Dollars & Sense” would reinforce his good budgeting habits.

“It teaches them practical life skills, and they learn the choices they make have consequences,” she said, noting, “Sometimes they see the big, pretty house but realize they can’t afford it.”

In addition to parent and community volunteers, the middle schools that participated in the recent Reality Store helped with “Dollars & Sense” at their feeder schools: Morton at Cassidy, Beaumont at Garden Springs, Edythe J. Hayes at Athens-Chilesburg, Tates Creek Middle at Squires, and Jessie Clark at Southern Elementary.

One of the main lessons the eighth-graders shared was how students’ grades in school can ultimately affect their career options, earning potential and standard of living.

“What you’re doing in art class and science and math really does relate to the future. If you’re really drawn to one of those subjects, there’s a good chance that might be related to what you’re going to do the rest of your life,” said Cassidy guidance counselor Sarah Cordle, who prepped the fifth-graders for “Dollars & Sense.”

For about three weeks, Cordle led the kids through career assessments, asking about their favorite subjects, character traits and broad interests like being outdoors. The students also took a modified “true colors” personality quiz, which grouped them in career clusters. For instance, a “blue” result indicated a preference for care-giving, while “gold” jobs suited highly organized thinkers.

Cordle then randomly assigned the kids a GPA, which correlated to a certain job and monthly salary.

“The kids might think $2,000 is so much per month, but they don’t think about their family and other expenses that are necessary,” she said.

One common outcome of the Reality Store and “Dollars & Sense” was the students’ recognizing the sacrifices their parents make to balance household budgets.

“I understand how tough it is for grown-ups to do every day,” said fifth-grader Abigail Magoola.

In the archives:

• Middle schoolers buy in to Reality Store