POLSON — With the end of classes practically upon them, Linderman Elementary School students are eager to get out of school – but not before they load up on brand new gear tailored toward summer fun.

On Tuesday morning, while there was peace and order in the school’s gymnasium as community members turned out to vote, a raucous scene enveloped the cafeteria, where the fourth grade class held its annual end-of-the-year auction.

At the front of the room stood a table lined with gleaming new bikes, sporting goods, s’mores kits, croquet sets, sleeping bags, squirt guns, pool toys and other untold riches. Facing this wall of loot was a sea of frantically waving placards, with the din of the auctioneer’s voice filling the background like the rattle of a machine-gun. The competition for each item was fierce, but it looked as though everyone was going to go home happy.

According to teacher Brittany Simonich, some of the prizes had been bought with a portion of the fourth grade class fund, but most were generously donated by area businesses. Simonich explained that the school tries to ensure that the items up for bid promote an active lifestyle, thereby encouraging their victors to head outdoors for some exercise amidst the summer weather.

While there were enough prizes to go around for everyone, some students had deeper pockets than others. Students had earned the school currency – “Linderman Bucks” – throughout the year by holding a job within the classroom, and also got into the capitalist spirit by starting their own businesses. Linderman’s diverse economy supported thriving businesses that sold a wide range of goods and services. One young entrepreneur even launched a lucrative woodworking business and amassed a small fortune of $1,700. Students could elect to spend their income on food, merchandise, or other products, but also risked being ticketed for bad behavior.

But for those who spent the past year working hard, behaving well, and living frugally, Tuesday was their long-awaited opportunity to reap the fruits of their labors.

Among the day’s many big winners was Juliana Marengo. You’ll recognize her as the girl with the new mP3 player, which was hers for the price of $600. Marengo entered the auction with $645 to spend, a nest-egg she had saved thanks to her year of service as a classroom health inspector, vigilantly cracking down on the dirty desks of her peers. The thrill of winning her new gadget helped to ease the sting of missing out on the coveted skateboard that had eluded her when bids crept into the $800 range.

Another smiling face in the crowd belonged to Bo Kelley. Kelley was the lucky recipient of a new bike — a prize he needed to shell out $1,300 hard-earned dollars for. Kelley justified the expenditure by saying that it was “the only item I really wanted” and added that his financial situation was helped by the fact that he did not accrue any disciplinary fines throughout the year.