School children meet democracy

BY MEGHAN BYERS
SPARTA – The fourth and fifth graders at Helen Morgan School who lined up to cast their ballots this Tuesday may not have been deciding the nation's president, but they were learning an important lesson in democracy.
Rather than presenting the students with a mock presidential election, the staff of Helen Morgan School instead provided their students with the chance to vote on three issues within the school itself: what to name the new STEM lab classroom, which movie to watch on their upcoming half-days, and what the next school spirit day should be ("I voted for Crazy Hair Day," said one young voter).
Principal Douglas Layman said he hopes that the event will teach the students that their choices have "actionable results."
"We wanted to teach them that through voting, you exercise your voice. So the questions, while fun, will also have real results," explained Layman. "By putting this together with energy and enthusiasm, we're demonstrating that voting is important, that voting matters."
All students had to register through an online form before they were allowed to vote, and lined up to sign their names when they arrived at the well-decorated polling center in the library. They then proceeded to one of the voting booths. The booths were set up with iPads for the voting itself, in addition to cardboard dividers that ensured each student's choices were kept confidential.
"We wanted them to learn the real process," said Stephanie Bernardo, school media specialist. "And we wanted them to learn what it means to vote, that it's a privilege."
Once finished, each student received a sticker that proclaimed their new status as a voter, and gathered to discuss their choices – along with their thoughts on democracy.
"It's good to get a say in what you want," said Quint Flannery, a fifth grade student.
"It's fun voting, you feel like you're involved," added Marcella Rispoli, a fellow fifth grader.
Principal Layman and Vice Principal Frank Ciaburri hope that students will learn a lasting lesson about the democratic process by participating in their school's election."We're trying to pass the message that this is an important act," said Layman.
Helen Morgan's students seemed to have heard that message loud and clear.
"There might be that one decider," explained student Daniel Perez. "Every vote counts."