Wayland High School students will operate a new spirit store, with a grand opening scheduled during the high school’s open house from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 28.
The store is located in the common space that previously was the cafeteria near the main gym.
Kim Moore, business teacher, will oversee the trimester class, “School Store Management,” which will be open to seniors who will run the store. The class will focus on business retailing, while applying skills learned in previous business classes. Sudents will gain hands on experience and knowledge in accounting/operations, sales/marketing development, and purchasing/merchandise.
“This class will be run similar to that of running and operating your own business,” said Moore.
The store will sell apparel, student supplies and other spirit-related items such as water bottles and lanyards. It will also work with other departments to offer student-made items that raise funds for other classroom endeavors. An example would be the woodshop students’ Michigan cutting boards.
The store will be open on full school days for 15 minutes before school and 15 minutes after. It also will be open for 30 minutes during high school lunches. The store will be open for two home football games (Homecoming) as well as four home basketball games, including Snowcoming, which will be announced in advance.
“The school store will allow the district to provide high school students with skills in marketing, retailing and customer service,” said Director of Instruction Teresa Fulk. “The valuable skills that students acquire through their work in the school store will be transferable to any career they choose in their future.”
The Cat’s Den, the old high school cafeteria, has been reinvented into a student center that offers mixed seating for before school and after school work spaces as well as an additional space, should a teacher, through principal approval, want to use as a large project space.
Both projects were paid for using Public Improvement Funds from the Gun Lake Casino in lieu of tax monies.
For more information about the store, call Kim Moore at 269.792.2254.