New store on campus sells Gr8 Supplies

by Darren Lim

The Gr8 Supplies store sells many school supplies to students outside of G-8 on Fridays during break, Teacher Stephanie Bentzel said. This store provides a convenience service for MHS students and is run by CBI (community based instruction) students who developed mental disabilities, according to Bentzel.

The store was opened for school business so that the CBI students who have developed mental disabilities can gain real life work experience, Bentzel said. They are also able to practice their math and social skills through this store, according to Bentzel.

“I like how my students can get out there and provide a service for students to use, as well as interact with other students,” Bentzel said. “The store also gives [my students] a sense of accomplishment as they can practice what they learn in class.”
The supplies sold in the store were paid for through a grant, Bentzel said. The grant money was then used to buy the materials needed to start up the store, Bentzel said.

“We were able to order all of our supplies through the school district’s warehouse,” Bentzel said. “We haven’t done anything with our profits yet, but we are going to use the profits to order more supplies to keep the store going. If we have anything left over, we might plan a fun outing for our students”
Post-secondary student Carmel Torres enjoys working at the Gr8 Supplies store. It is a good experience, Torres said.

“Working at the store helps me practice my math skills,” Torres said. “It is also very fun.”

Sophomore May Lee stopped by the store to buy an eraser. The store is very useful and convenient for students as they do not have to go to other stores to buy their supplies, Lee said.

“[The Gr8 Supplies store] has a lot of useful things to sell,” Lee said. “All the workers are very friendly as well.”

The store sells many school supplies such as report covers, binders, calculators, pens, pencils, rulers, and much more. It is good for students to buy school supplies instead of borrowing them from other students and teachers, Bentzel said.