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Show Page 12 The Ogden Valley News Volume XXVIII Issue XI July 1, 2021 Twenty Years Ago: Students Learn Critical Money Management Skills By Shanna Francis On May 29, eight lucky Valley Elementary sixth graders’ names were drawn out of a pool of sixteen to receive a $50 U.S. Savings Bond. The original sixteen students had submitted throughout the school year, winning budgets as part of the EconoMe program, a program designed to teach students about financial planning. The awards were sponsored and awarded by Mr. Tony Divino of Tony Divino Toyota of Ogden. Miss Northern Utah Counties Natalie Johnson was also invited and on hand at an informal gathering to honor and shake hands with the winning students. The savings bond winners were Cassidy Barnes, Jordan Black, Spencer Bowen, Kailee Carter, Kelli Child, Nicole Froerer, B.J. Liau, and Hank Storey. The EconoMe program was made possible by a Toyota Time Grant in conjunction with the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, a grant that was awarded the Valley School sixth grade. This was the first year the grant program was implemented, part of a two-year program that will also be implemented in next year’s sixth grade classes. As part of EconoMe, students constructed a mini economic society in their classrooms, complete with a store where they could spend their EconoMe bucks, and planned activities they could participate in. The program was formulated to help each student learn about managing money. Fixed expenses were attached to items the students used throughout the year, such as their desks. They earned “EconoMe bucks” to spend on their needs and wants and were given an outline to show how to budget their earnings and expenses. According to the sixth-grade teachers, “It was an excellent experience for the kids. They learned to anticipate their needs and wants, and how to budget for long- and short-term goals, and then use their mathematical skills to produce their personal budgets.” Sixth grade teacher Michelle Evans explained why the sixth grade applied for the grant, “There is a scary need for children to study money management—especially in Weber County. Utah leads the nation as the state with the highest number of bankruptcies filed annually, and within the state, Weber County has the worst record for bankruptcy filings.” Teachers are hoping that the students continue using the skills they acquired throughout the school year. Parents can help by providing their children an allowance for work they do around the home, farm, etc. Providing real-life opportunities for children to earn money will contribute to their success in budgeting and managing it—much needed skills they will use for the rest of their life. Mrs. Evans expressed that many children Danny Graves 801-857-1567 @DJFencingLLC today obtain no, or very little experience handling regular money. They often have a strange, unrealistic view regarding money; thinking that it is easy to come by, and that it is easy to purchase anything they want. They are besieged with TV messages that convey these messages.” Parents do a disservice to children by not including them in their own weekly or biweekly budgeting activities. According to Evans, “This can be an excellent teaching opportunity. Children also need to learn about how long debt seems to last when it’s your own, and how difficult it is to survive month by month if you have five or six monthly obligations or expenses.” At the end of the year, students were asked to write down some of the things they learned from the program. Arianna Hedges stated, “I learned that being careful about how I spend my money is very important. If every time I got a paycheck, and took out ten dollars, to go spend, I would never be able to pay all my bills and have some left to save.” But if I took out ten percent for donations, and five dollars for savings, I was soon able to do special activities, and still be able to pay my bills.” Connie Baggs stated, “I leaned that I should not go out and buy something I do not need. Now before I go out and spend my money on junk, I stop and think about it, so I don’t run out of money for important things.” Patrick Rasmussen: “In EconoMe, I learned that money isn’t everything; you have to work to earn it. And it may take awhile to make your goal.” Rachel Merriam: In EconoMe I learned how to balance my life. I think that the experience will prepare me for whatever lies ahead in my life.” Levi McConnell: “I learned that you got to take your money out of your pants before you put your pants in the washer!” Heather Wadman: “I learned how to do a budget and how not to just get my money and spend it, spend it, spend it.” Marcus Shepherd: “It [EconoMe] teaches you responsibility and how to be honest.” Maren Fuller: “I learned that you need to have a good education to get a good job.” Mrs. Evans stated that she, “couldn’t be more pleased with the students and what they learned.” The sixth grade wants to thank again Tony Divino of Toyota of Ogden for their support in this program. They provided quarterly EconoMe budget winners with a ride around the block in a brand-new sport vehicles throughout the year. This quarter’s EconoMe student winners were Cassidy Barnes, Kelli Child, Nicole Froerer, and Kirstin Loud. Mrs. Deanne Barnes of Liberty submitted the winning adult budget tips. CFOV Essay Winners Announced The Community Foundation of Ogden Valley (CFOV) sponsors an annual essay contest. The contest is open to all Valley Elementary students. A cash award of $25 from CFOV is then awarded to the ten students with the top ten essays as judged by Valley’s teachers. Each student also receives a $25 that they can donate, in their name, to the CFOV nonprofit they have pre-selected. By allowing the students to donate half of their prize money to the organization of their choice, it is hoped that students will begin a life-long journey of philanthropic giving. Below are copies of this year’s 2021 CFOV winning essays. Additional essays ran in the June 1 and 15 issues of the paper. Giving Back to My Hometown and hang out there. The next important thing is community service. I used to go to my aunt’s house in the fall so that I could rake up the leaves and it made her very happy. Also, sometimes when someone is sad or has something going on, me and my family cook cookies or a treat for them. Sometimes when my dad goes to work in the winter, he shovels people’s driveways. The last thing is that my community does donations. Some donations that we do are tithing and school fundraisers. Some school fundraisers we do stuff like collecting canned food for people in need of it. In my school, there are people who are trying to get a tetherball and a swing set for the school. They are doing it by trying to get a certain number of signatures. All this information shows you that there are many philanthropists in my community and that anyone can be one. It also shows you that philanthropy is a very important and brilliant thing. This shows that I am a philanthropist, as I help my community in every way possible. By Ava Greenwood My name is Ava. I’m a fifth grader at Valley Elementary and I am a philanthropist! A philanthropist is someone who gives charity, is generous, gives community service, and shows leadership in their feelings toward humanity. Anyone can be a philanthropist; you don’t have to be rich! One example of how I show philanthropy is by donating food to food banks because lots of kids/families need food. Also, donating toys and clothes because some people lose their clothes in a fire and other things. too. Also, you could plant a tree because lots of trees get cut down for houses, fires, and lots of other stuff. Another way I show philanthropy is making handmade cards, being a buddy because sometimes people need buddies, and, lastly, doing chores around the house or yard work for neighbors! In conclusion, I am a philanthropist, and you can be too! Anyone can be a philanthropist if they try! But if you do these things—like selfishness, greediness, brutality, and harshness—just try to change those things in your everyday life like at school and at home. Also, do some things like giving money, donating food to the food bank, donating toys, or be a role model. Also, donate clothes, plant a tree, give books to hospitals, make handmade cards, be a buddy, and, lastly, do chores/yard work for your neighbors. If you do those things, I know that you can be a philanthropist! Community Foundation of Ogden Valley By Dallas Green I am a philanthropist! That means that I can help the community and do surveys for it. ln this article, I can tell you that philanthropy is amazing and that anyone can be one. First of all, you should know that in my community we do park and beach cleanups. One of the park cleanups that I did was when my dad and other people went to our church, and they changed the entire playground. Also, one time there were a lot of people cleaning up Pineview Reservoir and it was very nice because they made it so that people could play Giving Back to My Hometown By Elsie Lott Hi! I am Elsie! I am a fifth grader at Valley Elementary. I am a philanthropist! A philanthropist is a person who donates their time, talents, money, and many other things. Whether you are very wealthy or not very wealthy, anyone can be a philanthropist! You do not always have to donate money. You can share your talents, and you could even donate to the poor, or to hurt kids at a children’s hospital. Not only can you do these things, but you could also donate toys, or be a role model to kids who are smaller than you. I can show philanthropy by being nice to my siblings, cleaning up trash, showing my talents to kids in hospitals, or I could even donate money to charity. Philanthropy is a way that you can show someone you care. You could do anything that is kind; it does not need to be big. It could be as small as giving someone a hug or bringing someone cookies. Other words for philanthropy are benevolence, goodwill, support service, charity, and generosity. You experience philanthropy in your everyday life, whether someone brings you cookies or you are doing something kind to someone else. Anyone can be a philanthropist! -Permanent Continuous Fencing -Arenas -Round Pens -Livestock Corrals -Custom Gates -Roping Boxes & Hitching Posts We work hard to guarantee low maintenance, high quality products that will last a lifetime. ~TWIN RIVERS RANCH~ HUNTSVILLE, UT BEEF Locally Grown Ogden Valley Beef PreserVaTiOn. PrOTecTiOn. sTewardshiP. All-natural grass feed beef available for purchase in half or whole. Ready for process Sept. 2021 - Jan. 2022. Processed in a USDA Plant. Cut & Wrapped at Bingham’s Meats in Morgan, Utah. Call for price and availability. 801-710-4953 Join today to preserve Ogden Valley’s grace. www.OgdenValleyLandTrust.org 801-710-4952 |