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Partnership
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New Albany High School
Edith Scheuerman Elementary School
Edith Scheuerman Elementary School
Garden City, KS |
| School Statistics |
| Total Enrollment: |
329 |
| Type of School: |
Public, Early Childhood/ Special Ed-4 |
| Location of School: |
Rural |
| Demographics: |
Latino: 65%
White 21%
American Indian/Alaskan Native: 11%
Asian: 2%
African American: 1% |
| Computers: |
Desktops: 95
Handhelds: 7 |
| Special Ed: |
18% |
| Mobility: |
27% |
| ESL Students: |
23% |
| Free & Reduced Lunch: |
65% |
Every nine weeks at Edith Scheuerman Elementary School, fourth graders apply for banking jobs. The school works with a local savings bank to teach the students math concepts and to introduce them to the business world. The youngsters' jobs range from tellers to bank president.
After training by both bank and school staff, students operate an at-school branch of the bank, where they take in an average of 70 “deposits” a week. There's no slacking off here, either. If a “worker” is sick, he or she must call in. The student bank employees must also track the number of customers and assess marketing strategies for their bank. The local bank also lets students shadow real bank employees and provides financial planning classes for students' parents and school staff. The goal of this special partnership is to extend learning for the students and parents, many of whom come from low-income families.
Edith Scheuerman Elementary has forged many other relationships with businesses and organizations. The school also has ties to senior citizen groups. Members of its Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), for example, help create literacy packets for kindergarteners, staff the after-school program, and volunteer as e-mail pals to help bolster students' literacy skills. The students reciprocate by making items for the local Meals on Wheels program and preparing decorations for the senior citizens groups' holiday parties. More importantly, though, these connections develop strong intergenerational relationships.
To give students a taste of far-off lands, the school has adopted a tiger at the local zoo for the past 15 years. The students at Edith Scheuerman are so dedicated to “Bob the Tiger” that they are raising money to buy a bench for others to sit near their tiger and enjoy his company.
Whether the connection is with a tiger, a banking executive, or an elderly resident, the children at Edith Scheuerman are learning that community and connections are important parts of learning and becoming involved citizens.
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