Laurie Jerriey

First grade students at Sunshine Elementary School got a real lesson in mathematics and history when Laurie Jerriey, manager of the Preferred Community Bank at 2511 Lee Blvd., showed up with money in her hands and a load of piggy banks.

“They got really excited when I showed them an actual $100 bill,” said Laurie. “I chose the school and the first grade on the American Bankers Association’s Teach Children to Save 2011 Day last week,” Jerriey said. First graders were not involved in the FCAT tests and they were perfect for a visit from a bank manager.

Several students in teacher Victoria Butland’s class gathered around as Jerriey showed them different coins and paper money and played games in teaching them how to add.

“They really did pretty well,” she said. “I think they enjoyed the games we played with the money. This is an effort across the nation to show children how to save their money,” Jerriey said.

“These children were a lot younger, but older kids were being given their FCAT tests that day, so that is why such a young group was selected,” she said.

Gifts given to first graders: Laurie Jerriey, local banker, shows the gifts given to students at Sunshine Elementary School. Each got a piggy bank from Premier Community Bank and a “squeegee,” showing what a $100 bill looks like. Photos by Mel Toadvine

Jerriey prepared copies showing drawings of coins and taught the children how to recognize them and how to add them up as change.

“I would ask them to match the coins from pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters,” she said.

Jerriey said the children learned the names of who was on the dollar bill and other bills such as the $100 bill.

“They really got excited to see a $100 bill,” she laughed. “I don’t think they had ever seen one of them.”

Jerriey even showed them silver dollars, gold coins and half dollar coins.

“I started off with a penny and told them they could save their coins at home and it would add up to bigger money,” she said.

A piggy bank was given to each student, along with a joke toy, a $100 “stress reliever,” or “squeegee,” something you can squeeze on. The kids saw it as toy and that was great because it showed them what a $100 bill looks like with the photograph of Benjamin Franklin on it.

The youngsters deposited money into their carry-home banks, gifts from Jerriey and her bank.

“I think when we were finished, they had 91 cents in their piggy banks,” she laughed.

She said she thought it was important for young children to know the denominations of paper money and coins. She wasn’t surprised that many knew what coins were and could call out their names.

“The history lesson was also important, not only on paper money, but on the coins. I told them the names of the presidents pictured on the coins,” she said.

Teach Children to Save is a national program that raises awareness about the important role that banks and bankers play in helping young people develop lifelong savings habits.

The American Bankers Association said that the program has reached four million students with the help of some 97,000 banker volunteers through its annual awareness day and the Teach Children to Save Website at: www.teachchildrentosave.com.

“It was fun for them and it was fun for me,” said Jerriey, who is active in the Lehigh Community, having served as president of the Chamber of Commerce. She is still a member of its board.

Laurie said Brenda O’Neil, the CEO of the bank in Fort Myers, where the other branch is located, supports the idea of teaching youngsters to save.

The bank is located at 2511 Lee Blvd. and opened in October of 2010. The other location in Fort Myers is on Colonial Blvd.