CLEARFIELD – Since 2003, CNB Bank has helped educate area second graders with basic money skills and savings principles. Thanks to an innovative program called Saving with Mandy and Randy, students learn vocabulary words related to savings, identify coins, count coins, add and subtract cents and dollars, complete activity sheets and practice savings skills, even completing deposit tickets for savings accounts.
Sponsored as a public service of CNB Bank for the eighth consecutive school year, Saving with Mandy and Randy is offered as a curriculum supplement for teachers of second grade reading level students in 47 area elementary schools. “CNB feels it is crucial to the children’s financial future that they understand how to save their money,” said Joe Bower, President and CEO of CNB Bank.
“By sponsoring this program, we are reaching children at an impressionable age. If we can help them learn good money habits right from the start and raise their level of financial responsibility, it will be advantageous for them and the community alike as they grow to be teenagers and into adulthood,” stated Mr. Bower.
Elementary teachers integrate the program into math, language arts and civics. They use the workbooks and teacher’s guide to teach and reinforce concepts related to money, savings and financial responsibility. If the teachers want help with the course, bank representatives make themselves available for support in classroom instruction. When they finish, students understand the importance of saving even small amounts regularly, as a means of achieving financial goals.
A teacher from George Blaisdell Elementary School in Bradford commented, “This is a great resource to support math skill and development within our school math curriculum. The math activities relate to our math standards… This is nice to have available to second grade teachers.”
“Thanks so much! This course reinforced with the children, money and how to spend it wisely. Also the course talked about wants and needs,” commented a teacher from Clearfield Alliance Christian School-Elementary.
