Third Graders Learn Business Ins and Outs through Annual Holiday Stationery Project
January 9, 2025
If you’ve ever tried gift shopping during the holiday season, you know that it's no easy feat! Our third-grade students experience some of the holiday retail season with their annual stationery project, which has the lower school overflowing with holiday cheer. As part of their economics study, the entire grade level has been busy creating a classroom business that envisions, plans, produces, markets, and sells holiday stationery.
The project kicked off on November 7, following the class’s visit to North Dallas Shared Ministries after their food insecurity lessons. The students reflected on the experience and developed a deeper understanding of a budget. The holiday stationery business development and planning period was from November 18 through December 13. During this period, students designed and selected a logo for the business, and they created a business proposal for their classroom stationery store.
This year, all students had the opportunity to be engineers, production assistants, sales representatives, and advertising representatives, as well as to be a part of the finance team. Engineers created the stamps from blueprints, and the production team worked as an assembly line. Members of the production crew also helped pack the product. Advertising generated ideas for the business name, a jingle for the lower morning announcements, posters, and other promotional materials to increase brand awareness and encourage "Super Stationery" sales! Each class presented their business plan for a business loan to the ESD Business Office. By sharing their classes’ business models, all students had an opportunity to practice public speaking to sell their pitch. They also made their own currency called Eagle Bucks. Students sold their stationery to the Lower School on December 16 and 17.
“I loved watching the students work together in their various jobs,” said third-grade teacher Marion O’Mullane. “It was such an engaging experience for the students. Not only did they develop an understanding of economics and how to run a successful business, but they developed teamwork skills, problem-solving strategies, and using a growth mindset.”
“I learned so much during this project,” said one third-grade student. “One thing I will remember is that sometimes customers want different things. As a salesperson, you have to create a product that your customer wants or needs.”
Another student echoed that she would also take away the importance of a customer-focused philosophy. “I learned that sometimes the demand is not what you want or think, but what the customer wants,” she said. She also said she realized how important teamwork and compromise are in business. “It is not always about what you want, but rather what the majority wants,” she concluded.
