For the fifth year in a row, the 4th Grade has partnered with M&T Bank as part of their year-long financial literacy program. As part of the program, the 4th Grade hosts “Banking Day” once a month which offers every GFS Lower School girl the opportunity to bank at GFS. On Banking Day, the Lower School Art Room doubles as a bank lobby and 4th Grade girls serve as tellers while students from Kindergarten through 5th Grade have the opportunity to deposit money into their savings accounts (accounts are set up by parents ahead of time). Representatives from M&T visited GFS to help kick off the program and talk to the students about banking and saving. The program teaches the savvy students about the importance of saving, customer service and lets the girls get hands-on with financial literacy. 

The voluntary banking program continues throughout the year, as does the in-depth financial literacy curriculum in the 4th Grade. This year, 4th Grade will partner with 5th Grade for the first time in the annual Stock Market Game. The game gives students hands-on experience in learning about stocks. In addition to hearing from financial experts, girls will take field trips to the TRowe Price lab which replicates the functionality of Wall Street’s top trading firms, providing an advanced teaching and research environment. The game gives students the ability to value complex securities and investment opportunities in real-time, using the latest numerical algorithms powered by Bloomberg, a global leader in business and financial information. The Stock Market Game is led by a GFS parent advisor who helps brings real-world experience to the students and helps the girls to explore possibilities in the field of finance and economics.