The Sutton High School Store is going through tremendous changes in the 2024-25 school year. After changing management two times in two years, our librarian, Ms. Farmer is looking to improve the store after taking it over. The store can be expecting new merchandise, more hours, and additional Sutton spirit products.
Opened in 2015, the Sutton School Store has supplied a variety of spirit items to our school community such as sweatpants, shirts, and hats, but this year the store is looking to expand.
Since opening, the store has been athletic-focused with the clothing available to purchase, but Ms. Farmer is looking to extend this support to other groups throughout the school. She says groups like band, drama, and school clubs deserve more recognition in the school. She hopes to do this by adding custom options that appeal to everyone.
Her goal by the end of the year is that people “would purchase a shirt, choose a logo, and it would be returned to them customized.” She is trying to make sure the store is fully inclusive for everyone.
Additional merchandise we will see this year are temporary tattoos, stickers, buttons, flags, stuffed animals, and holiday-themed pieces.
The store provides more than just products to our school community. The store creates a learning experience. McKenzie Elliott, a student at Sutton High, says “It is a great way to promote Sutton spirit while teaching students responsibility and money management.” The school store has over 20 students who volunteer their free time during lunch and advisory. It educates younger students on how to manage their time in high school and it can be applied to the real world. One participant said “I do enjoy volunteering at the school store. I find it fun to be able to participate in something like this.”
The school store was created by students as a CSL class project. This project benefitted the entire Sutton community, making it so that obtaining merch and spirit is accessible for all students.
The store originally ran out of a storage closet, had limited inventory, and felt cramped. Arielle Powell, one of the volunteers, says, “Over the past few years I feel the school store has become extremely popular.” Now it has since been upgraded to an office space and supplies over 35+ different items where middle school and high school students can shop during advisory, lunch, and special events.
The school store still does not accept cards, but cash and checks are welcome, so make sure you plan accordingly when making a purchase. Ms. Farmer says her hope “is to keep prices low and raise school spirit!” The prices remain relatively low and range from $0.05 up to around $30.00. To stay updated with the School Store follow their Instagram or visit their website.
