Sharon STREAM After School Culminates with Candy Shoppe

Sharon students prepared for the opening of their Mega Egga Candy Shoppe as part of their STREAM after school activities.

BY KAREN CAMPBELL

Weakley County Schools Communications Director

SHARON (November 4) - As Sharon School’s STREAM (Science, Technology, Reading, Engineering, Arts, Math) after school program comes to a close, the stories first through fifth graders read about in books are becoming real life hands-on experiences. Students became entrepreneurs, opening their Mega Egga Candy Shoppe on Friday, November 5.

The integrated learning began in September with teachers Tori Shepherd and Amanda Cross covering English Language Arts and Math and Kristi Parsley serving as coordinator. Twenty students took part in the 90 minutes of study twice weekly, which focused on what it takes to start a business.

“They learned about what an entrepreneur is and what an entrepreneur does,” explained Parsley. “All of our books have centered around kids that have come up with ideas to start their own business and make money.”

Once the books introduced the idea, Shepherd worked with the learners as they wrote poems, discovered new idioms, discussed what business they would start, made a logo for the business, and came up with a slogan, “We have eggactly what you need!”

She noted that part of the fun was then working with puns that further developed the Mega Egga concept, “so everything is eggciting and eggcelent.”

Cross further integrated the learning with math activities. Lower grades learned different coins and counting money while older students worked on writing receipts and giving change.

Candy selections – made by the children and staff – included chocolate dipped Oreos, pretzel sticks and marshmallows; caramel apples; cupcakes and cookies.

The grand opening of the Mega Egga Candy Shoppe on Friday, November 5, at the Sharon School gym entrance included a public shopping experience, with students and staff checking out the offerings later that day. All proceeds will benefit Sharon’s SOAR Christmas Store. Donations will also be accepted.

STREAM mini camps were mandated by the Tennessee General Assembly to address learning loss remediation and student acceleration due to the pandemic. Each elementary school has hosted a STREAM camp this fall.