Across the country, the race for the White House is coming to a close. At FHN, students are also excited to be off school on Election Day.
Since many schools in the district are still polling places – Hollenbeck Middle, Barnwell Middle, Francis Howell Middle, Bryan Middle, Castlio Elementary, John Weldon Elementary, Warren Elementary, and Daniel Boone Elementary – a decision was made to have the students out of school on Election day, which is a benefit to the students.
“There’s less danger for strangers to be in a school with the students,” Amy Barlow, teacher for 11 years, said.
Teachers also benefit from being off since they get to go and vote. Half of the day is assigned to Professional Development, which is teachers working on things to improve student learning, and the other half of the day the teachers who are registered can go vote.
“Well, it’s one of our freedoms, and it’s really important for people to vote and decide who our next president will be,” Darlene Jones, principal at FHN for 17 years, said.
Before Election Day, teachers could also hold mock elections and talk about current issues and what is happening during the campaigns. Many teachers encourage their students to vote when they are eligible.
“Voting is one of the most important things to do as an American citizen,” Whitney Harper, teacher for five years and sponsor of the Young Democrats Club at FHN, said. “[A] vote can be very powerful in choosing the next leader.”
Some students also get involved with Election Day, whether they are able to vote or not. Many Social Studies teachers in the building do activities with their students, such as Kid’s Voting.
“Kids have gotten more informed about who’s running and what the current issues are,” Barlow said.
Election day is an important day, and the results are still unknown, which is Barlow’s favorite part about Election day. She also enjoys seeing how the results play out, and that watching the results is “like watching a race.”
“I enjoy going to vote,” Jones said. “It makes me feel like I am exercising my democratic prerogative, [and] it makes me feel important.”
