Polk County Public Schools
Bartow’s Gause Academy received a Governor’s Award for Excellence for its integration of economics into business classes. The award recognizes schools, teachers and classes for innovative and creative teaching and learning of economics, free enterprise and financial literacy.
Gause Academy teacher Melissa Konkol-Bennett led her high school business students in a study of the economic impact of agriculture in Florida. In addition to researching Florida agriculture and produce grown in the state, students grew their own garden and visited Florida’s Natural local citrus processing plant. They also toured Lake Wales’ Chalet Suzanne’s cannery and learned about health and safety regulations related to the process. U.S. Congressman Adam Putnam, R-Bartow, met with the students and talked about the different types of agriculture and discussed tariffs and regulations pertaining to the agriculture industry.
Gause Academy business students involved with the award were Vergenise Ayala, Emily Campbell, Cynthia Cape, Lacresha Dawson, Jessica Dandridge, Heather DeSalvo, Caroline Faucher, Christina Fitch, Jesus Garcia, Jade Greenwood, Samantha Harper, Laurelee Hart, Lisa Luna, Valerie Loury, Mairym Martinez, Maria Maldonado, Cassie Morris, Chris Reddick, Dylan Raimonda, Staci Roberts, Kelli Sapp, Amanda Schofield and Chaunacee Williams.
Teams of students from Lakeland’s Winston Elementary won top awards in stock market simulation contests. Winston was second among 80 competing teams in The Stock Market Game, a program of the national Foundation for Investor Education. The foundation, based in New York City, is a nonprofit organization that develops and provides investor learning and resources for all ages. In a similar contest sponsored by the Florida Council on Economic Education, Winston was the first place team in the elementary school division. They topped 28 other elementary schools from across the state.
Susiette Dixon was the Winston teacher who involved the students with the stock market learning and helped to teach them to manage stock portfolios.
Winston students involved with the stock market contests were: Diana Avellaneda, Jesus Castro, Gregorio Gonzalez, Savannah Fields, Kristin Hood, Carnell Hargrove, Daimi Martinez, Cynthia Pacheco, Vashawn Taylor and Jacob Weaver.