Wilbur-McMahon Students Take Third in State Stock Market Game

Watch out, Warren Buffett.

The Wilbur McMahon School seventh grade team placed third out of 71 teams in the fall session of Rhode Island's Stock Market Game. Family and Consumer Science Teacher Barbara Baum made the announcement at this month's School Committee meeting, saying they participate as part of their curriculum.

She congratulated students Sam Wordell, Nick Scott, Alex Cory and Vincent Downs-Honey.

According to its website, students learn how to do real world investing and work as a team as they grow their $100,000 virtual cash accounts into a top portfolio. While following current events, the students are using math, business, economics, language arts and social studies. The game is sponsored by the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association.

Baum said the program's interpersonal and social aspects - competitive and cooperative - were what drew her in.

"While it's the competition between the groups that originally gets students excited about participating, it's the interdependence among the individuals of each group that sustains their interest, gets them communicating effectively and often, and in my view, leads to one of the most effective learning experiences," she said in a recent interview. "The Stock Market Game is a fun way to teach serious skills and concepts that students will use for the rest of their lives."

Baum said the sixth, seventh and eighth graders started the new session, which began this week.