Mrs. Matsko’s eighth grade exploratory classes have been learning all about personal finances. Throughout the four week course, students explore topics such as income, expenses, investing for retirement, and budgeting. The students participate in a stock market game where they invest $100,000 into simulated stocks of their choice and monitor those investments over the course of the four weeks. They also complete an online budgeting tutorial where they practice allocating money from their “paycheck” into various categories, such as savings, rent, groceries, and entertainment, while gaining valuable skills in prioritizing expenses and managing their finances effectively.