Balloons-R-Us From John Failor, a math teacher at Maine West High School in Des Plaines, Illinois: ìI teach a program called Freshman Academy. This program takes thirty to forty freshmen who havenít demonstrated very high academic proficiency and tries to get them caught up in reading and mathematics. I lead these students in running a school store called Balloons-R-Us. Balloons-R-Us allows students to purchase balloons at school for their friendsí birthdays. We use the front of a janitorial closet as a store. We are open every morning before school and provide a selection of around fifteen different balloons. Included with each balloon are helium, ribbon and a weight. Freshman Academy students work at the store, help select inventory, create advertising and marketing strategies, and complete financial records. We have made a profit of five hundred dollars so far this year. We plan to do a year-end report and decide what to do with the profits. I have incorporated some of the math involved in the business in my math classes. I believe any school could operate such a business.î