Kywaun Leaston and Kydin Howie make the perfect team: Howie is the salesman; Leaston, the moneyman.

Together, they run the snack cart that makes Fridays more cheerful for the students of Hugh Bish Elementary School.

Teacher Michelle Givens said the duo typically is her choice when it’s time for her class to wheel the cart through the school, offering tasty treats ranging from Skittles and Airheads, to cookies and chips.

“We sell snacks,” said fourth-grader Howie, working as the driver who propels the cart through school corridors.

“I like to drive the cart,” he said, explaining the job isn’t without difficulties. “It’s hard to turn.”

Leaston, a fifth grader, handles most of the crowd, helping them sort through offerings and keeping tabs on what each customer is spending, then taking their payment. It’s his job to help students decide how much their money will buy (pretty much everything is $1) and whether they will spend it all today, or keep some for next week.

“I like the money,” Leaston said.

Givens said that was one of her surprises as she guides her students through the snack cart project. In class, Leaston wasn’t really interested in numbers. That changed when he started working the cart.

“He had zero interest in class. Now, he wants to learn,” Givens said of Leaston’s keen interest in money, adding he now is eager to learn the math behind cash.

Givens said her broader goal is getting students involved in their community, while learning what can become real jobs.

“We’ve talked about that,” she said, of issues involved in holding a job. “They have to work together as a team.”

Leaston and Howie already have the team approach down, and they know their customers. The most popular snack?

“Airheads,” said Leaston of the sour taffy-like candy, nodding his head at the classroom door where students come to the cart to make their selections.

Naomi Dicks, second grade, carried her purchases to her backpack hanging in the hallway, carefully making room for two Airheads and other snacks as she beamed. Classmate A’Drik Lewis went the chocolate route, explaining that’s his favorite snack. He likes the fact that the snack cart “comes to my class.”

Nicholas McConnell, getting conflicting advice from classmates, had problems deciding.

“You don’t have to listen to your friends. You get what you want,” Givens advised him, adding as an aside that many students share their snacks with friends.

McConnell’s ultimate choice was Skittles and Airheads.

“I like this,” he said, waving an Airheads. “I love sour. And I love Airheads.”

Howie said he and his partner are always willing to help a customer who needs to balance available cash with the number of snacks it can buy.

“If you have five (dollars), you get five (items),” he said, pointing to merchandise that includes candy, cookies and chips, and even some charms, pins and bracelets.

The boys’ reward for running the cart this particular Friday? A snack of their own, of course.

For Leaston, the selection was Skittles. But, he would have been happy with anything.

“It’s all a good choice,” he said, of his merchandise.

Howie chose a package of miniature doughnuts, and at Givens’ urging, explained why. He has two younger siblings at school and a third one at home.

“I’ll take them home,” he said, explaining everyone gets a doughnut.

But, if left to his own devices, what’s his favorite snack?

“Hot Cheetos,” he said.

Givens said while her students like the idea of running the school’s snack cart, she has a fundraising project that allows more students to participate.

Students are working with Texas Roadhouse to sell peanuts, putting the restaurant’s popular snack into bags and delivering them to students who have pre-ordered. Givens said that gives some of her shyer students a chance to participate in sales.

“No one is left out,” she said, adding she also expects to be involved in the snack cart project all school year. “The kids like it.”