Nichols Middle School Students Know How to Invest
Last week, two John T. Nichols, Jr. Middle School students participated in an awards ceremony for the Stock Market Game Competition. 8th Grade students, Matt Dolan and Evan Hartel finished first and second out of 526 teams in the Commonwealth. These two students in Ms. Crystal White's math class were honored at The Boston Globe on Wednesday.
Students who participate in the The Stock Market Game program learn more than investing. As they progress, they learn core academic concepts and skills that can help them succeed in the classroom — and in life.
Starting with a virtual cash account of $100,000, students strive to create the best-performing portfolio using a live trading simulation. They work together in teams, practicing leadership, organization, negotiation, and cooperation as they compete for the top spot. The setup is engaging, and the learning is a natural part of the experience.
In building a portfolio, students research and evaluate stocks, and make decisions based on what they've learned. Teams trade common stocks and mutual funds from the NYSE and NASDAQ exchanges; earn interest on cash balances; pay interest if buying on margin and pay a commission on all trades. To determine why certain stocks perform the way they do, or why the broader market has moved up or down, they need to understand how the economy works, and to calculate their returns they need to do the math.
If you see Matt or Evan, think about having them invest some money for you, for it may pay off great dividends. Congratulations, Matt, Evan, and Ms. White! Awesome job, Tigers.
Matt Dolan (with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Dolan) is in the red shirt and he placed 1st out of 526 teams in MA. Evan Hartel (with his parents, Ms. Sullivan and Mr. Hartel) is in the blue shirt and he placed 2nd out of 526 teams in MA.
