Fifth-graders at Sacred Heart School have come to the
realization that life after school isn’t as easy as it looks.
Fifth-graders at Sacred Heart School have come to the realization that life after school isn’t as easy as it looks.
“It’s a big job making sure everything runs smoothly in Quake City,” Shannon McBane said.
McBane, the mayor, and the rest of Susan Carroll’s class spent the past few months organizing and building their very own town from the ground up, which was named after their own earthquake prone hometown.
Desks were transformed into store fronts with decorative signs and merchandise on display. The city hall, which is a single desk for the mayor, stood in the middle of the classroom complete with mayoral letterhead. Toward the back of the classroom, bankers loosened their neck ties as they got swamped with business. And, thanks to the peace keeping of Quake City Sheriff Tucker Carrillo-Zazueta, no one was in jail, at least until Hollister Mayor Tony Bruscia arrived and spent some time in the big house.
Meanwhile, over in Pat Howle’s classroom, Caribbean Cove is busy as usual with 11 shops. Both classrooms have been building their own cities for weeks. The project teaches them about business operations, finance and the planning and organization it takes to run a town.
Bruscia stopped by both cities Friday to check out the shops and have a brownie from the “Sweet Tooth Bake Shop.”
“Talk about real world learning,” Bruscia said. “This is so great. I wish we had this when I was a kid.”
The students of Quake City and Caribbean Cove all designed their own money, and a math test was given to select the bankers. The sheriffs and mayors were elected by a class vote, and the shop owners had to go through the employment agency to contract employees.
Twelve-year-old Nick Espinosa runs Quake City’s employment agency. When businesses come to him needing help, he finds them employees who cost the business owner $25 for 15 minutes.
“I like this job because it keeps me busy and I’m always running around town talking with everyone,” he said.
At city hall, visitors can find pamphlets about how a bill becomes a law, and at the bank they can make investments and file for loans.
“This project has taught these students so much about the real world,” Principal Kathy O’Donnell said. “I mean just the other day there was too long of a line at the bakery and the student realized he had to hire another employee. But when he realized that was going to cost him extra in salary, he realized it was better when business was slower.”
Howle, who has done this project for the past 24 years, said it’s a great way to teach the students how to plan and be organized.
“This is just like real life,” she said. “These kids are paying taxes, rent and learning about how to handle things in the real world.”
McBane said, as mayor, she has looked after the day to day developments in Quake City, but hasn’t had to make any nail-biting decisions.
“I haven’t had to make any major decisions or sign any laws,” she said. “But this has been a good learning experience. Who knows, I may go into politics one day.”
