Plymouth High School Advanced Marketing, School Store, And DECA Students Succeed In Unique Year

Press release from Plymouth-Canton Schools:

Plymouth High School teacher Tyra Johnson and her Advanced Marketing students usually look forward to the start of the school year as a time for fast-paced work with their peers serving the Wildcat community. The program offers students the privilege of learning business skills, working in The Den school store, and competing in the DECA entrepreneurship competition.

Then came the COVID-19 pandemic.

No in person learning. No students wandering in to the Den to shop. No in-person DECA competition.

But that didn't stop Johnson's hardworking students from making the most of a year unlike any other. The students didn’t want every experience to be taken from them, so they found ways to make the most of their time in Johnson's program.

The students worked hard to set up the store when they returned to in person learning on January 25th. They began creating sales promotions and advertising their merchandise to staff, freshmen who had begun learning in person, and students who were still learning virtually. To do their part to promote abiding by COVID-19 safety protocols, the Den allowed staff to place
orders for masks through Google Forms, and delivered the masks to staff mailboxes. PHS freshmen purchased masks during lunch through The Den concession window, and virtual students were able to make purchases after school.

Now that all students are back in the building, Den staffers have expanded to promoting and selling other spirit wear after school.

14 of Johnson's students competed in DECA virtually on December 10th, 2020. The students prepared for the competition virtually by taking practice tests and working with Johnson on practice role plays for their chosen competitive event.

PHS Advanced Marketing students were awarded a total of twenty-two medals at districts, and ten of them advanced to the DECA state competition on March 9th and 10th. Two students were awarded state finalist medals for their events during the state competition.

The students also worked on a Community Giving Project during the months of February and March. They decided to make blankets for the seniors at Waltonwood Carriage Park senior living facility and the Huron Valley Humane Society. The students knew that the area's aging population has been through a lot during the pandemic, and that some were dealing with loneliness because visitation restrictions kept them from seeing their loved ones.

The gift of blankets was meant to symbolize a hug from these caring students. The seniors at Waltonwood were touched by the gesture, and sent the students a thank you message with pictures of them enjoying the blankets.

You can follow the students on The Den social media accounts @plymouthden on TikTok and @phsden on Twitter.

This press release was produced by the Plymouth-Canton Schools>. The views expressed here are the author’s own.