Kindergartners Get Some Business Experience Little Entrepreneurs At Spirit Lake Elementary Were Involved In All Aspects Of Bookmark Venture

Lakeland schools

Spirit Lake Elementary kindergartners recently discovered how the skills they are learning in school apply to the working world. They opened and operated a bookmark business.

They performed all of the jobs necessary to run the business, including advertising, manufacturing, sales, cashiering and accounting. They sold bookmarks to students during library time for 5 cents each.

The activity was a great success. Kindergartners practiced recognizing and counting pennies, nickels and dimes, recorded sales with tally marks and used good salesmanship manners. They sold 945 bookmarks in the one-week exercise, earning $45. The money will be used to buy bandannas for their rodeo.

In other school news

Spirit Lake Elementary has a busy schedule leading up to the end of the school year.

On Monday, the fourth-graders will enjoy a field trip to Old Mission State Park in Cataldo and the Sierra Silver Mine in Wallace. Tuesday will be DARE graduation at 2 p.m. at the school. Parents are invited to attend. On Friday, the kindergarten and first-graders will hold their rodeo. Also on Friday will be the last popcorn sale at school this year.

Spirit Lake Elementary will hold its annual talent show on June 4 at 1:15 p.m. Parents are invited.

Spirit Lake Elementary wishes to recognize all of those who have volunteered at school this year. Principal Steve Rasor reports that volunteers have donated over 1,400 hours of time.

They served in a variety of duties including classroom and office aide, preparation of materials, art projects, class parties, Parent-Teacher Organization activities, field trips and other special projects.

Some exciting things have been going on in the music department at Lakeland High School in the past few weeks. The most notable is sophomore Marie Arnold, who placed third in state competition in the solo and ensemble festival. Arnold performed two of Schumann’s romances for oboe.

The Lakeland High choir and band participated in competition in the large group festival. Similar to the solo and ensemble festival, performing groups are rated on how well they performed based on various musical criteria. The highest rating is a 1 (a superior rating). The next rating is 2 (excellent), and 3 (good). The band received a 1 rating and the choir received a 3 rating.

A planning meeting for the Lakeland graduation party is scheduled on Wednesday and again on June 2. Both meetings are held at the high school commons at 7 p.m. Parent volunteers are being sought to work at the party. Call 687-6906 or 687-1793 to help.

Tickets are being sold for $39.99. A professional photographer will take individual pictures at graduation practice and a group picture at graduation. Goodson Productions will be on hand at graduation and the party filming videos of the graduates. Copies of the photos and videos can be ordered by calling the above numbers.

Lakeland Junior High school has been busy welcoming sixth-graders to next year’s junior high halls. Hawk Greeters, counselors and administrators traveled to the district’s elementary schools, offering information and orientation to sixth-graders. Seventh-grade registration also was included in the tours.

The junior high’s teen living class has been working on a project it calls “Say NO to Violence.” This project was created as a result of the recent school shooting in Colorado.

Timberlake Junior/Senior High School also welcomed sixth-grade students from elementary school during the past week. The sixth-graders were busy eyeing the halls of the junior high in preparation for attending junior high next year.

John Brown Elementary will hold its annual talent show on Tuesday. On Thursday, John Brown students, staff and families will enjoy Hall of Fame at Family Night.

Actress Patty Duke recently made an appearance at Lakeland High School for Career Day. She also will visit John Brown Elementary soon. The exact date is not being given here for privacy purposes.

Students from around the Lakeland district attended the Benewah/Kootenai County spelling bee. Kevin Armstrong from Mary Peterson’s third-grade class at Spirit Lake Elementary took first place in his age group. The spelling bee was attended by 26 public and private schools with 155 spellers from grades three through eight.

Four Timberlake Junior High students also attended the Spelling Bee.

Amber Hayden-Gates and James Hewitt both represented the eighth grade. Gates placed third and is the alternate for the state competition. Hewitt placed sixth. Cody Rupnick and Matt Barnhouse represented Timberlake’s seventh grade. Rupnick placed fifth. Jessica Roger, a seventh-grader, had earned the right to go to the county bee but could not make it due to other commitments. Rupnick stepped up in her place.