Authentic learning – Commerce Christmas Market

On Thursday 1 December, Year 9 Commerce classes had the opportunity to utilise their study of innovation and entrepreneurship to produce Christmas products to sell to the Santa Sabina community. This project required students to apply their understanding of the factors involved in running a small business such as a market stall. Students needed to work collaboratively to allocate human resources, apply organisational logistics, design marketing strategies and manage finance. The Commerce Christmas Market raised over $2500 for the women of Kopanang. Mrs Vikki Cummins and Mr Richard Crittenden must be acknowledged for their support and guidance of Year 9 Commerce students and the success of this project.

Brigida Zagora
Head of HSIE (History)

The Christmas Market Day was such an exciting experience. As Commerce students we were eager to put our new knowledge of business tactics towards helping a good cause to support the women of Kopanang. Each group was determined to raise as much money as possible. We sold Christmas ornaments, hot chocolate, bracelets, and much more. My group sold festive mugs with instant hot chocolate, marshmallows, candy canes, and instructions on how to make the product inside. In class, we learned about increasing the value of a product by coupling it with other resources. We did this with our product design. We also printed stickers with our group’s name and logo on them and handed these out to our first 12 buyers. In Commerce we had examined the importance of advertising, and as a result of handing out these stickers, we attracted more buyers. We were very successful and sold out of our product within half an hour! This year’s Christmas Market day gave us a practical insight into Commerce skills, so we are prepared for next year with new skills and some merry experiences.

Isabelle Law – Year 9