Ortonville- Flowers in vases, placemats, tablecloths and a few dozen menus adorned two large tables.
Seated at the tables were diners, being waited on by a bevy of waiters and waitresses in aprons, notepads in hand, as well as trays carrying lemonade, popcorn, pizza and more.
A restaurant scene, but with a twist? this ‘restaurant? was an H.T. Burt second grade classroom, transformed last week for a hands-on experience for students.
‘The kids studied money and we wanted to give them a real life situation to role play,? explained teacher Jamie Wagner, who was joined in the activity by teacher Lisa Goltz.
Under the direction of their teachers, students in the classes created menus and decided on costs of various items. Each student was given a set amount of play money and could decide how much to spend at the restaurant and at the school store. The students took turns being the patrons and waiters and waitresses, and a row of calculators assisted them in determining the amount of each check and the correct change to give. The activity was part of a unit on economics.
‘I liked serving the food to the people I was waiting on,? said Elyse Kassa, 8. ‘I learned how to add money. You get to have a restaurant, and normally in math we just work on a sheet. I’ve never gotten to run a restaurant.?
Nolan Wetzel, 8, agreed.
‘I liked playing with the money and checking it with the calculator,? he said.
‘It works really well and they don’t realize they’re learning because it’s fun,? Wagner said.

Ortonville- Flowers in vases, placemats, tablecloths and a few dozen menus adorned two large tables.
Seated at the tables were diners, being waited on by a bevy of waiters and waitresses in aprons, notepads in hand, as well as trays carrying lemonade, popcorn, pizza and more.
A restaurant scene, but with a twist? this ‘restaurant? was an H.T. Burt second grade classroom, transformed last week for a hands-on experience for students.
‘The kids studied money and we wanted to give them a real life situation to role play,? explained teacher Jamie Wagner, who was joined in the activity by teacher Lisa Goltz.
Under the direction of their teachers, students in the classes created menus and decided on costs of various items. Each student was given a set amount of play money and could decide how much to spend at the restaurant and at the school store. The students took turns being the patrons and waiters and waitresses, and a row of calculators assisted them in determining the amount of each check and the correct change to give. The activity was part of a unit on economics.
‘I liked serving the food to the people I was waiting on,? said Elyse Kassa, 8. ‘I learned how to add money. You get to have a restaurant, and normally in math we just work on a sheet. I’ve never gotten to run a restaurant.?
Nolan Wetzel, 8, agreed.
‘I liked playing with the money and checking it with the calculator,? he said.
‘It works really well and they don’t realize they’re learning because it’s fun,? Wagner said.

Ortonville- Flowers in vases, placemats, tablecloths and a few dozen menus adorned two large tables.
Seated at the tables were diners, being waited on by a bevy of waiters and waitresses in aprons, notepads in hand, as well as trays carrying lemonade, popcorn, pizza and more.
A restaurant scene, but with a twist? this ‘restaurant? was an H.T. Burt second grade classroom, transformed last week for a hands-on experience for students.
‘The kids studied money and we wanted to give them a real life situation to role play,? explained teacher Jamie Wagner, who was joined in the activity by teacher Lisa Goltz.
Under the direction of their teachers, students in the classes created menus and decided on costs of various items. Each student was given a set amount of play money and could decide how much to spend at the restaurant and at the school store. The students took turns being the patrons and waiters and waitresses, and a row of calculators assisted them in determining the amount of each check and the correct change to give. The activity was part of a unit on economics.
‘I liked serving the food to the people I was waiting on,? said Elyse Kassa, 8. ‘I learned how to add money. You get to have a restaurant, and normally in math we just work on a sheet. I’ve never gotten to run a restaurant.?
Nolan Wetzel, 8, agreed.
‘I liked playing with the money and checking it with the calculator,? he said.
‘It works really well and they don’t realize they’re learning because it’s fun,? Wagner said.

Ortonville- Flowers in vases, placemats, tablecloths and a few dozen menus adorned two large tables.
Seated at the tables were diners, being waited on by a bevy of waiters and waitresses in aprons, notepads in hand, as well as trays carrying lemonade, popcorn, pizza and more.
A restaurant scene, but with a twist? this ‘restaurant? was an H.T. Burt second grade classroom, transformed last week for a hands-on experience for students.
‘The kids studied money and we wanted to give them a real life situation to role play,? explained teacher Jamie Wagner, who was joined in the activity by teacher Lisa Goltz.
Under the direction of their teachers, students in the classes created menus and decided on costs of various items. Each student was given a set amount of play money and could decide how much to spend at the restaurant and at the school store. The students took turns being the patrons and waiters and waitresses, and a row of calculators assisted them in determining the amount of each check and the correct change to give. The activity was part of a unit on economics.
‘I liked serving the food to the people I was waiting on,? said Elyse Kassa, 8. ‘I learned how to add money. You get to have a restaurant, and normally in math we just work on a sheet. I’ve never gotten to run a restaurant.?
Nolan Wetzel, 8, agreed.
‘I liked playing with the money and checking it with the calculator,? he said.
‘It works really well and they don’t realize they’re learning because it’s fun,? Wagner said.