During lunch and Community Time, when seventh grader Micah Blay wants to buy a snack, he knows that the best place to find one is the school store. Blay is one of the many students that are eager to buy a wide range of candy and drinks, including Kinder Bueno Bars, Reese’s and Airheads, which are some of the store’s most popular items.  

The school store is a responsibility often taken on by the oldest grade at CESJDS, and after fully returning to in-person school this year, the Class of 2022 decided to revive this tradition. After they graduated in February, the junior class took on the role of managing the school store. 

According to Dean of Students Roslyn Landy, the school store has been around for a long time. It was first started for grades to make money to spend on their grade-wide events and programs planned by the student government.

“It was an idea that originated with the students who wanted to earn money for their grade. In the old building,  there was no cafeteria so [the grades] would purchase and sell pizza,” Landy said. “Once the school moved to the Upper School campus which had a cafeteria, the students wanted to do something to raise money so they suggested opening the school store.”

Junior Lyle Barrocas is the head of the school store committee. In this role, he determines the store’s schedule and assigns shifts to members of the junior class who volunteer for the store.

Barrocas does not only work at the school store to help to the grade government; he also does it because he is passionate about it. 

“I work at the school store because in the past years I was an avid customer, and I wanted to be the person in the store making people happy and now I am,” Barrocas said.

Junior Class Treasurer Evan Gerstenblith is in charge of resupplying the store and buying  the snacks and drinks for when the store runs low on products. In addition, Gerstenblith decides how to price the items in the store to help fund the junior grade government. 

“The people who work in the school store decide what they want me to buy… and then they tell [Barrocas] to text me what I should buy,” Gerstenblith said. “Right now the profit from the school store goes to the grade government…but the plan is to donate most of it to Ukraine while keeping some for our grade.”

Junior Joshua Gale dedicates four days a week during lunch and Community Time to the school store, where he helps manage sales and restock shipments of items. 

“I work in the school store because I want to get some experience in sales,” Gale said. “I want to improve the store through more promotion of the store.” 

Although running the school store seems entertaining, there have been some challenges that the students have faced while trying to reopen the store. 

“Some difficulties that we face are always agreeing on prices for the food and figuring out when we need to restock,” Gale said.

The school store isn’t just about selling food to students and making a profit. It’s also about the oldest grade having fun, bonding and learning new skills.

“It’s really fun to work at the school store because you get to hang out with your friends. You also get to sell stuff to people and make them happy which is very enjoyable,” junior Anouchka Ettedgui said. “There are a lot of people that I talk to that work in the school store with me or come to the school store that I wouldn’t have talked to otherwise.”