With the help of student counselor Holly Teyler-Crowder, Delta High School’s student council worked together to build something special for lunchtime. Students can now earn what are called Pancho Pesos: the laminated currency based on the school’s panther mascot, Pancho the Panther.
However, the store is only open on Wednesdays at both lunches for students to have a chance to have a little extra something with their meal. Pancho Pesos—despite not being real pesos—can be used in the new Panther Den store to buy goodies, snacks, and other things that students take a liking to. Not only does the Panther Den give students a chance to buy things they want, but it also teaches an important lesson along the way.
“It’s just for the kids to learn how to conserve money and teach them how to spend money…” said sophomore Emma Valdez, “…plus, it’s just for fun.”
Giving out Pancho Pesos also teaches students that hard work pays off. Staff members around DHS award students, Pancho Pesos, while they are maintaining a good attitude towards schoolwork. By earning incentives, keeping good grades, and even after a competitive class game of Quizlet, students can earn the currency for the store. It ties to having a job in a way like a boss awarding an employee with a raise.
“We [also] kind of started it to incentivize students to do their best and to be more excited about school,” said senior Olivia Hines.
Something especially unique about the Panther Den is that it is completely student-run. Members of the student council take on ‘shifts’ on Wednesdays depending on their lunch periods. It counts as a win-win situation, both in the sense that the student council learns how to count money and the customers learn to keep up their own Panther pride. Moreover, both sides seem to enjoy what the Panther Den has to offer, both education-wise and snack-wise.
“In public education in high school, we have the oldest students, but they’re still kids,” said Crowder. “We know they’ll still want play-money and candy and goodies.”
The Panther Den is not only a station for food and trinkets, but it also serves as a reminder for students to stay young and have some fun.
