BY CHRISTINE VARNO

Staff Writer

OCEANPORT — If you were to visit Maple Place School on a weekday morning, you’ll find most students getting settled in their homerooms. Others, though, are simply going about their business in an old storage room. In this case, their business is "Maple Mart" — the school store.

Students at the middle school have been successfully running the Maple Mart for two years, catering to the needs of their classmates.

The students do the ordering, the inventory, the sales, the merchandising and have even extended themselves to go as far as delivering products from class to class.

"They do excellent," said John Amatto, principal of the school. "It is such a great program that allows students to get real life experience."

The store, which operates out of an old storage room due to lack of space at the school, requires two students at a time to run.

Andrew Orefice, the store advisor and the sixth- and seventh-grade math and science teacher, helps out with any questions the students have and is in charge of selecting the students who work in the store. He selects the students to run the store from a list of volunteers and then explains the details of the different jobs.

A total of 17 seventh- and eighth-graders are chosen. They take turns alternating all the different roles throughout the year.

"Kids from all types of student life are involved," Orefice said. "They do a great job. Some weeks they don’t have to ask any questions."

The students are in charge of stocking shelves, setting up sales and knowing what will sell. They learn how to run specials and how to reduce sales on slow-moving items.

"We are giving them a first taste of the business world," Amatto said. "They conduct themselves in a business-like way."

The store is open to students of the school only. It is open three days a week, usually Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 7:40-8 a.m.

"If a school day is canceled or we miss a day, we always make it up," Orefice said.

The store sells paper, pens, pencils, folders, highlighters and calculators. The school is looking into selling polo-shirts, sweatshirts, mugs and key chains as well.

Students come into school as early as 7:30 a.m. and report to the gymnasium when they will be working a shift at the store.

As many as six to seven students are seen shopping at the store each morning, Orefice said.

A portable cart carries small items from class to class from 8:05-8:15 a.m for any students who came in late.

Jenna Mason and Rae DeMott, both seventh-graders who work for the store, said that they have fun working there.

"We learn how to count change and have to remember what everything costs," Mason said.

They both plan on working at the store again next year.

Orefice said that the sales vary, but it is a financially successful business, with pens being the most requested item.

"The store is doing well and the kids are enjoying the experience," Amatto said.

Besides running the store, the students are also in charge of promoting the items they are selling by advertising.

They request a statement in the morning announcements, periodically put up signs and are planning for an advertisement in this month’s school newspaper.

"They are just good, average kids," Amatto said. "They are doing a great job."