By Mike Hutchens, UC Schools Communications Director
Union City, Tenn.–Learning the value of coins has been ‘money in the bank’ for Union City Elementary School second graders.
Members of Stephanie Carpenter’s math classes quickly picked up on the lesson and got a surprise visit from local First Citizens Bank employee Tyler Barker who answered any remaining questions they had Monday.
The exercise wrapped up a unit on counting money for the UCES students, who peppered Barker – the Business Development Lending Officer at FCNB – with several questions after he read the book ‘Bunny Money’ to them.
Barker also discussed spending and saving money as well as other basics and jobs in the banking industry with the class. He then told them he “started in the second grade” himself, counting money with his hands.
Carpenter had earlier drilled her classes about coin recognition and their value. She taught students about the many functions of a bank and smiled while insisting: “Learning to count money makes them feel grown.”
The teacher used replica ‘play money’ as part of the learning process and said several students practiced by counting the change from their parents’ pocket each night.