AUBURN — Just 30 minutes before closing time at 3 p.m. Tuesday, students taped up a sign on their lemonade stand that said “sold out.”
The children in the Family Development neighborhood on Valerie Circle were participating in a math lesson under the watchful eyes of four educators from Auburn Public Schools.
Kim Bianco, Alice Crawford, Nurta Hade and Melissa Sundell have been working with students on Tuesdays and Thursdays through the month of July on reading and math skills. Anywhere from five to 25 kids will show up to the neighborhood’s recreation center on any particular day, said Sundell of Park Avenue Elementary School.
Tuesday’s lemonade stand served as a way to teach math skills while making a little extra money. The students factored in the cost of supplies before deciding on how much to sell each cup: 50 cents. The children held a taste test to determine which lemonade recipe tasted the best.
Students shared the responsibilities of making, selling and marketing cups of lemonade and small bags of snacks.
Customers included neighbors and school personnel familiar with the students, who mostly attend Washburn and Park Avenue Elementary schools. Educational technician Angela Delorme, known to kids as Mrs. D, was one penny short for her purchase, so sixth grader Faadima Jibril loaned her the penny.
Other customers included Marty Szydlowski, executive director of the Auburn Housing Authority, and Bates College history professor Joe Hall, as well as a huge showing from officers with the Auburn Police Department.
School Resource Officers Dennis Matthews, Tyler Ham and John Chamberlain swung by for a cup of lemonade and a bag of chips.
The children made enough lemonade for 60 servings. The “sold out” sign was taped up 30 minutes before closing time at 3 p.m. Six pouches of snacks remained after selling 44.
“Do we all get to split the money?” asked second grader Victoria Kimball.
To the students’ delight, the last half hour was spent counting and dividing the profits.
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