Post Messenger Recorder -

Secretary of the Department of Financial Institutions Ray Allen visited the Belleville Elementary School as part of The Big Read Program during Money Smart Week last Thursday, and presented the students with a 10-year challenge to become rich using the information that they learned during the week.

"I'll come back in 10 years to see how all of you are doing with your savings plan," said Allen.

The Department of Financial Institutions is dedicated to protecting Wisconsin citizens through financial regulation and education and is committed to ensuring the safety and soundness of Wisconsin financial institutions, protecting the investing public, and enhancing the viability and accessibility of the state's business record-keeping system.

Belleville resident Bill Wilcox is chair of the Governor's Council on Financial Literacy and president and chief executive officer of CBM Credit Education Foundation. This is the second year that the CBM Credit Education Foundation has provided books to each student in the Belleville Elementary School and this year, books were donated to the Belleville Public Library as well.

"It's never too early to teach children about money," said Wilcox, who chose the Belleville School District because his grandchildren are students in the district and he wanted to give back to the community. Each year a subcommittee selects a book to promote for the Big Read during Money Smart Week.

Superintendent Pam Yoder read this year's book Alexander, Who Used to be Rich Last Sunday by Judith Viorst while students from the Belleville Middle School helped act out the characters in the book. Middle school students also taught the elementary students a song about saving money.

"Money Smart Week is a great opportunity for our students to learn how to be smart with money," said Superintendent Yoder. "I'm thrilled that we could incorporate a visit from Secretary Allen, have older Belleville students working with the youngest Belleville students, and collaborate with businesses in the Belleville community."

Marian Viney

Secretary of the Department of Financial Institutions Ray Allen visited Belleville Elementary School on Thursday, April 23, as part of Money Smart Week while the staff of UB&T in Belleville donated a bank to every student. Diane O'Connor and Belleville High School Marketing and Business Education Teacher Erik Farrar distributed the banks to students.

To start their successful future savings efforts, the staff of UB&T Belleville donated a bank to every student and Diane O'Connor was present to distribute the banks, with the help of Belleville High School Marketing and Business Education Teacher Erik Farrar.

Rick Francois, from Francois Sales and Service, helped start the students savings plans with some coins for each student.

Elementary School Principal Julie Witmer and Middle School Social Studies teacher Bob Gentilli handed a book to each student as they left The Big Read.

Money Smart Week is a public awareness campaign to promote financial education across all age groups. Launched in 2002 by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, the program is active in more than 45 states through national partnerships with the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and U.S. Department of Agriculture Cooperative Extension, and the American Library Association.

For more information, please visit http://www.cbmfoundation.org, http://www.moneysmartweek.org, or http://www.wdfi.org/ymm/govcouncilfinlit.