THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, May 18, 1995 TAG: 9505160119
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 12 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TONYA WOODS, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 80 lines
OH, THE TRIALS and tribulations of being in the fourth grade.
You never know what will show up in your lunch box. You have to make sure the lights on your tennis shoes flash when you walk. And you even have to go to work before your class starts.
That's right: work. A fourth-grade class at Oakwood Elementary School is busy four mornings a week running Supplies ``R'' Us, their school store.
All of the store's profits, which recently exceeded $70, will go toward buying books for the school's library.
The store is open 9 to 9:20 a.m. in the cafeteria - because breakfast traffic is great for business. The supplies include paper, pencils, erasers, pencil sharpeners and even gift certificates for 25 cents, 50 cents and $1 that can be redeemed for merchandise.
The fourth-graders are learning about economics, how to count money and the real meaning of holding down a job.
``It's fun, but it's very hard,'' said 10-year-old Rico Sumrell, who helps with the advertising.
Advertisers are responsible for drawing posters and handing out fliers with the Supplies ``R'' Us slogan, which is: ``If you have the supply blues don't fuss, come to Supplies `R' Us.''
``It helps prepare you if you want to have your own business,'' Rico said.
That's the idea, says fourth-grade teacher Yvonne Arrington, whose class runs the store.
``A lot of these children think they can just go wherever and get a job,'' she said. ``They don't know about filling out applications and going on job interviews.''
Bonnie Bill, principal, says the store got off to a good start and has been running smoothly since it opened in March.
``It's wonderful,'' she said. ``And Ms. Arrington did everything the right way. We taught the students all about economics, gross money and net money, and what to do to secure themselves from thieves.''
To work at Supplies ``R'' Us, students had to fill out job applications and go through interviews. They had to tell why they wanted to work as cashiers, advertisers or store guards and explain their qualifications for those positions.
Work is not all fun and games for Supplies ``R'' Us employees. The students have to report to work on time and are given warnings for tardiness and absences. Their store is open Monday through Thursday, with Friday being their day off and their time to hold class council meetings.
Anthony Mings, 10, a cashier and store guard, is quick to point out that these rules are the real deal.
``If you don't come in for three days, you get fired,'' he said.
With responsibility comes paperwork. And these students have their share. They keep track of everything they sell and how much money they make on a daily ledger. They pay $1 a week to the principal to use the cafeteria space. Using their own checks with their in-school address printed in the upper left-hand corner, the fourth-graders really are getting a feel for business.
Store manager Julie Brown, 10, has to make sure her employees are paid, of course. But for them wages have taken on new meaning.
``Instead of giving them money, we give them ice cream,''she said. ``It makes everybody know they're appreciated, because if they worked hard and didn't get anything at the end of the week that wouldn't be fair.''
Arrington said at first the store was bringing in nearly $15 a week, but after a while that decreased to about $6 weekly. Ice cream sets the store back about $2.50 each week, although it is bought at a discount from the cafeteria manager.
The students got the idea for the store while studying city government. They formed a class council and decided to sell pencils from their classroom. Those sales went so well that Bill suggested starting a school store.
The store already has had a one-month anniversary sale. Buy two of anything and get one of the same item free was the pitch. And it worked.
``We have a lot of money for our business so far,'' store manager Julie said. ``I hope we can make a lot more.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MOTOYA NAKAMURA
Oakwood Elementary secretary Inez P. Cox buys merchandise from
Supplies ``R'' Us, which is being manned by, from left, Rico
Sumrell, Julie Brown, Jessica Rigby and Jonathan Reese.
by CNB