TMS personal finance class takes another round of awards
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The TMS personal finance class saw another round of awards in the recent regional competition of the Stock Market Game sponsored by the Illinois Bankers Association. Pictured left to right are Teacher Jon Brandt, Myles Quinn (2nd), Caden Saffel (2nd), Nate Miller (3rd), Paige Cantu (3rd), Maleah Thomas (3rd), Teacher Heath Keller and Landry Wasser (3rd). (Photo by Pat Pratt)
By Pat Pratt
ppratt@timestribunenews.com
Students in the personal finance class at Triad Middle School saw another round of awards in the Stock Market Game just before summer break, with two students earning second place finishes.
While just one aspect of the finance class, the Stock Market Game is sponsored by the Illinois Bankers Association and asks students to manage an investment portfolio, with prizes awarded for the highest returns.
Students earlier in the year competed against others across the state. The awards last week were for regional competitions in the game, according to teacher Jon Brandt.
“This is a regional award where the students invest in whatever stocks they choose and monitor it,” Brandt said. “They can buy and sell over the course of the semester. This is a way for the Illinois Bankers Association to give an introductory lesson and show how stocks work.”
The personal finance class itself, Brandt and teacher Heath Keller said, has shown to be effective in teaching students how to become fiscally responsible. The curriculum includes, saving, investing, credit management and other financial topics.
Keller said while some students, understandably, are more interested in the topic than others, he is impressed across the board with the students’ improvements in financial knowledge over the semester.
“Over the course of the semester, students learn the different avenues they can invest in and save and how they spend their money,” Keller said. “Then at the end, they put together a presentation based on the career they want to go into.
“Hopefully, when they walk out of this class, they have a better understanding of budgeting and other aspects of finance.”
Caden Saffel is a student in the class and said it has helped him better understand finance. He won second place in the most recent round of the Stock Market Game.
“I’m genuinely surprised because whenever we first put our money into those stocks, we never expected to go this far,” Saffel said. “I find it (the class) has helped me understand almost every aspect of how products are produced and sold in general.”
Myles Quinn is the other second-place award winner. He too said he was surprised to get the award and said the class has helped him understand finance.
“I never understood finance before, but I’ve really understood it because of Mr. Brandt’s teaching,” Quinn said.
