As we take a look at what’s new in area school districts this year, Stroudsburg High School is taking the school store idea to a new level.
News13’s Nicole Walters gives high school students and parents a sneak peak at the Mountaineer Market.
Stroudsburg High School Principal Jeff Sodl and District Superintendent Cosmas Curry couldn’t resist doing some back to school shopping of their own today. Even though they were just supposed to be giving News13 a tour of the new school store.
"Can you ring this up for me now?"
High school students are going to have a whole experience at Mountaineer Market.
Sodl says, "We try to promote school spirit and just walking in there, it just screams Stroudsburg Mountaineers so it’s really exciting."
Forget just buying a pencil and some easers.
District Transition Coordinator Heather Nowosad says, "We’re unique to the Poconos right now, this is the first store of this nature that I know of. We have a point-of-sales-system, we have merch, things for school spirit, school supplies. I don’t know if another school in our county that has something like this so we’re pretty proud."
Nowosad is getting everything ready to hopefully open next week for students first day back.
Nowosad says, "Somebody that needs a polo, we’re going to be able to offer that. We’re going to open during lunches, if they want to swing by get a drink or a snack, something before practice."
So parents start budgeting your money now.
Nowosad says, "Kids don’t carry cash anymore so we’re going to accept Apple Pay, we’re going to accept credit cards, debit cards and things like that. [So what you’re saying if their parents are in trouble?] Pretty much."
But the school merchandise and supplies also have a bigger purpose.
Nowosad says, "This is an extension of our Rotations that we have here at Stroudsburg High School so for our students in our special education program, getting ready to enter the workforce, they come here when they’re ready to go, they’re going to be working alongside their peers from Interact and FBLA."
We’re told it’s been in the works for quite some time.The concept was part of the building renovations about a decade ago.
Sodl says, "This room was set aside to be a school store and everything that we did in the building here when we designed it was to make it more like a collegiate type of atmosphere. Colleges have school stores, they have book stores, that kind of thing. And when we built this with the glass windows, we wanted students to be able to see into the market."
And it was actually their thrift store, Common Threads, that finally made it come to fruition this year.
Nowosad says, "Our thrift store just turned 6 years old and we sell dollar clothing, we’re open to the community. And because of the popularity and the support we’ve received from our community, we were able to build this."
Everything was done in house. School maintenance workers built it and students made the graphics. Promoting school spirit in Stroudsburg, NIcole Walters, News13.