A Lesson in Free Enterprise

Mr. Bill's Crew had a blast on Tuesday as we held our Fall Market Day--an activity that gives students a chance to learn about basic economics.  They get to be producers, retailers, and consumers while operating their own business for a brief time.  Businesses sold everything from cookies to drawings to matchbox cars to chai lattes (oh, and a policeman-cookie jar that gruffly announced "BACK AWAY FROM THE COOKIE JAR" every time the lid was opened).

Some students operated by themselves and some formed partnerships. Some set their prices wisely and some didn't; some had a good sense of how much merchandise to carry, while others ran out quickly or were left with bloated inventories.  Some students budgeted well in order to pay their stall rental and income tax, while others came up short. But everyone had fun and gave the day a thumbs-up at the end! And all the practical lessons learned will be put to good use when we hold the second market day in the spring. 

A Lesson in Geography

The crew continues to enjoy getting and reading postcards from people all over the world.  We now have 17 of them posted. Landon--our honorary youngest crew member--is seen here with the map displaying the cards and their locations.