Students at Healy graduating with life skills--based on a true story :)
Once upon a time, there was a Pierz Schools graduate we will call Pioneer Pete (or Pioneer Polly in the interest of gender equality), who at the age of 25, found himself (or herself...you get the idea) out to dinner with a group of his close friends. After the meal, he announced that he would pay for the tip. Because he had once been a 7th grader in Ms. Becki Schmidt’s class, he remembered exactly how to convert decimals to percents, recalling the time they spent on this exact lesson. Proudly, and without the help of his iPhone (Pete knew it was rude to have his phone at the table), he left a generous 26% tip for his waiter. His friends were impressed, not only by his quick and handy math skills, but that he had done so well for himself that he could afford such a luxurious tip. “How do you have so much money?” they quipped. Alas, Pete confided that his time spent in Mrs. Gruber’s Economics class as a senior set him up for financial success. There, he learned about important money management skills like budgeting, what a credit card ACTUALLY is, all about student loans and what compounded interest means. And, hearing the information first-hand from local business owners, financial advisors, and insurance experts who came to speak to the class, he fully understood the importance of this financial intelligence.
His friends were impressed. Pete became the ‘go-to-guy’ for all questions related to personal economics. Eventually, Pete saved enough money, thanks to all the investment and savings knowledge gained at Healy, that he was able to purchase his own house. This seemed like a nearly impossible task to his struggling friends, but Pete was prepared thanks to the Financial Algebra class he enrolled in with Mrs. Steph Andres when he was a junior where he learned about mortgages and loans. Because of the knowledge and lessons learned in this class, he was able to understand his water and electric meters and analyze his utility bills. He continued to save money thanks to the lessons Mrs. Andres taught about navigating the stock market, financial planning and even retirement planning. And because every little bit helps, he even saved money by filing his own taxes--another skill learned at Healy.
Once Pete was all moved into his house, he wanted to feel like a grown up. He was tired of eating pizzas, macaroni and cheese and ramen noodles. He rejected the idea of wearing clothes that were kept perpetually in laundry baskets, never to be folded and properly stored. He called upon his knowledge learned in Mrs. Strohmeier’s Family and Consumer Sciences classes. Pete, suddenly remembering this long-lost knowledge, went grocery shopping with the list and budgeting skills he learned in class. He began to prepare gourmet meals centered around nutrition and taste. Eventually, he invited his new girlfriend to his home. And while many would be nervous at this idea, Pete was smooth. He called upon his Fundamentals of Foods class knowledge and expertly prepared an exquisite meal, complete with a properly set table, all the while displaying perfect table manners (also learned in that class).
Eventually, perhaps being so impressed with Pete’s culinary and financial skills, his girlfriend became his wife. As time went on, she was impressed daily with Pete’s domestic skills-- how to properly wash dishes, how to properly fold clothing, towels, and even the dreaded FITTED SHEET!
Her adoration for Pete and his life skills only grew, and with it so did their family. Once again, Pete found himself calling upon the lessons he learned at Healy. Now, it was the information he gathered from Child and Human Development which helped him become the best father for his newborn, toddler, school-age child and teen. Having learned about the intricacies of all the phases of childhood, Pete was well-prepared for this new role.
Pete and his wife eventually saved enough money for retirement (having learned this in Mrs. Gruber’s Economics class and Mrs. Andres’ Financial Algebra class) and lived happily ever after.
So the next time someone says - “They sure don’t teach any ‘real-life’ skills in schools these days.” You can think back to this story of Pioneer Pete and respectfully disagree.
The End
His friends were impressed. Pete became the ‘go-to-guy’ for all questions related to personal economics. Eventually, Pete saved enough money, thanks to all the investment and savings knowledge gained at Healy, that he was able to purchase his own house. This seemed like a nearly impossible task to his struggling friends, but Pete was prepared thanks to the Financial Algebra class he enrolled in with Mrs. Steph Andres when he was a junior where he learned about mortgages and loans. Because of the knowledge and lessons learned in this class, he was able to understand his water and electric meters and analyze his utility bills. He continued to save money thanks to the lessons Mrs. Andres taught about navigating the stock market, financial planning and even retirement planning. And because every little bit helps, he even saved money by filing his own taxes--another skill learned at Healy.
Once Pete was all moved into his house, he wanted to feel like a grown up. He was tired of eating pizzas, macaroni and cheese and ramen noodles. He rejected the idea of wearing clothes that were kept perpetually in laundry baskets, never to be folded and properly stored. He called upon his knowledge learned in Mrs. Strohmeier’s Family and Consumer Sciences classes. Pete, suddenly remembering this long-lost knowledge, went grocery shopping with the list and budgeting skills he learned in class. He began to prepare gourmet meals centered around nutrition and taste. Eventually, he invited his new girlfriend to his home. And while many would be nervous at this idea, Pete was smooth. He called upon his Fundamentals of Foods class knowledge and expertly prepared an exquisite meal, complete with a properly set table, all the while displaying perfect table manners (also learned in that class).
Eventually, perhaps being so impressed with Pete’s culinary and financial skills, his girlfriend became his wife. As time went on, she was impressed daily with Pete’s domestic skills-- how to properly wash dishes, how to properly fold clothing, towels, and even the dreaded FITTED SHEET!
Her adoration for Pete and his life skills only grew, and with it so did their family. Once again, Pete found himself calling upon the lessons he learned at Healy. Now, it was the information he gathered from Child and Human Development which helped him become the best father for his newborn, toddler, school-age child and teen. Having learned about the intricacies of all the phases of childhood, Pete was well-prepared for this new role.
Pete and his wife eventually saved enough money for retirement (having learned this in Mrs. Gruber’s Economics class and Mrs. Andres’ Financial Algebra class) and lived happily ever after.
So the next time someone says - “They sure don’t teach any ‘real-life’ skills in schools these days.” You can think back to this story of Pioneer Pete and respectfully disagree.
The End
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