JA Biztown

For the past three years, the 6th grade class has had the privilege of participating in and learning about real-life experiences related to personal finances and future careers through Junior Achievement's Biztown experience. This year, our 6th graders applied for jobs and worked for the local organizations and businesses: Grand Rapids Community College, Bissel, Gordon’s Food Service, and Chick-fil-a. 

 

Leading up to our day at JA Biztown, the students spend 12 class periods devoted to preparation for Biztown. Through these classes, led by Janet Hulett, the students gained the skills and knowledge needed for their futures. Our students learned how to write a check and fill out a checkbook, the way money flows through the economy, setting prices for goods and services, supply and demand, and how to behave in a professional work environment. 

 

After all of the preparation, students were excited and ready to participate in a day at JA Biztown. While there, All Saints Academy joined with two other schools to make our day successful, working for companies such as Independent Bank, Meijer, Corewell Health, and running City Hall. Our day was quite the success - everyone paid off their bank loans and made a profit! Upon return to school, students spent time reflecting on their experience and Biztown - what they learned, felt prepared for, unprepared for, and shared any additional thoughts. The most common response was the ways in which they felt prepared for their job, but unprepared for the “real world” experiences, such as covering for someone while they were on break - not just completing their specific tasks, but having to step in for their teammates too. Maybe great lessons were learned, experiences had, and they definitely had fun along the way!

 

Thank you to our volunteers who made our day successful and to Janet Hulett for spending so much time with the 6th grade and preparing them well for their day at Biztown!

 

4th Grade Trip to Frederik Meijer Gardens

On March 23rd, the 4th graders got to take an adventure to Frederik Meijer Gardens to explore the butterfly exhibit, sculptures, treehouse playground, and more! The opportunity allowed us to build on our animal and plant adaptations science unit, in which students studied the various internal and external features that affect the survival of organisms.

We began our trip by taking a walk through the plant exhibits, where we saw plants like cacti, and were able to connect the needles to our studies about how plants protect themselves from animals who may want to eat them. 

When we headed to the butterfly exhibit, we were able to see the life cycle of a butterfly on full display. Students used their field journals to choose a butterfly to follow through the exhibit and observe. They drew the butterfly, tracked its flight patterns, and its colors. This helped us determine how it survives in various situations and deters predators from attacking. 

“I loved seeing the tropical birds in the exhibit too,” added Anabelle from 4th Clark.

Some students even had butterflies land on them and hitch a ride through the exhibit!

After going through the butterfly exhibit, students were able to look at some of the indoor art, then head outside to view the sculptures. The 4th graders had a blast imitating the art and picking out some favorites to look up later in class! They also were able to take a break to play on the bird nest themed playground.

To end the day, we got to do a “Learning Lab” about butterflies, filling in more of our observation journals and using lab tools to study the features of wings up close. Students worked together to investigate how light, color, and translucency can impact the survival of a butterfly in the wild. 

“The patterns on the wings were so cool to see up close!” Kasia from 4th Clark relayed.

We had an amazing time thanks to Frederik Meijer Gardens, our wonderful chaperones, and learning leaders. The students expanded their learning and had so much fun in the process!