Ka-Ching!
Two Charles H. Bullock School fifth graders proved their economic savvy, taking second place in the New Jersey North Stock Market Game 2018 Awards. Piper Goodspeed-Moses and Sonia Haynes received their honors on June 1 at Pershing Global Financial Solutions office in Jersey City.
Under the tutelage of Bullock fifth grade math teacher Brenda Coe, the students participated in the yearlong Stock Market Game program, realizing equity of $109,245.44.
Fifth grade students were paired into teams and given $100,000 to virtually invest in the Stock Market in late November. Throughout the year, students learned about stocks, shares, diversifying their portfolios and began watching the market during and after school.
“It was impressive to see my students connect to math outside of its application in school,” said Ms. Coe. “We were fortunate to have the opportunity to provide students with an early understanding of how the stock market works. It is our hope that participation in this game gives them the experience needed to begin investing at a much younger age.”
Bullock Principal Nami Kuwabara and Ms. Coe attended the awards ceremony with the students.
“It was great seeing our Bullock students being recognized for their analysis of the stock market,” said Ms. Kuwabara. “As Peyton said, in response to a question at the event, ‘we are lucky because we had this experience, and when we are older, we can think back to this and make money.’”
Sonia added how challenging stock investing can be. “Gains and losses can change at any moment, so you have to be careful when investing.”
The Stock Market Game program, for 4th through 12th graders, is an online simulation of global capital markets, incorporating economics, investing and personal finance. More than 600,000 students take part in the Stock Market Game program every school year, with more than 15 million students participating since its founding in 1977.
The Stock Market Game program is run by the SIMFA Foundation, which is dedicated to providing individuals of all backgrounds with knowledge and understanding of financial markets.