For the second year in a row, third and fourth-grade REACH students participated in the Magnolia Market; a simulated town featuring businesses, a post office, a newspaper, and much more.

Over 160 advanced academic students across the district have worked toward this day for the past nine weeks, selecting their businesses and creating a business plan, product list, websites, and marketing materials. 

Throughout the project, students learned about salaries, bank accounts, transactions, loans, operating costs, budgets, tracking inventory, and much more, with the goal of answering the overarching question: How can we design a city that is safe, healthy, sustainable, and fun to live in while being fiscally responsible citizens?

“We didn’t have many customers at first, but once we started showing people what we offered, we gained more, said Wiliams 4th-grader, Allison Archbold. “I loved the stores that looked like they made their own products and put a lot of time and energy into what they were selling.” 

The market was made up of 40 businesses such as mini golf, bingo, private sporting lessons, travel agencies, a bookstore, a movie theater, a bakery, an art gallery with lessons, an emergency room, a grocery store, and much more. Students alternated working their business and shopping, visiting each location with their Magnolia Market credit cards and interacting with each other. 

“Magnolia Market has become such a rewarding project for all involved,” said Director of Advanced Academics, Alana Wood. “ Watching the teachers guide students through their business ideas and then to finally see the finished product on Market Day should make every parent, student, and teacher proud! I know I am extremely proud of our team and the work they continue to do with our GT students,” she added.

Thank you to our business partners, HEB and Americas ER for their donations that helped make the event successful and brought to life the Magnolia Market. 

Magnolia ISD offers advanced academics/GT for kindergarten through 12th-grade students.

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