SANTA MONICA-MALIBU UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

PRESS RELEASE

           

CONTACT:  Irma Lyons                                    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

310.452.2364, lyons@smmusd.org                    27 OCT 2008

 

Santa Monica Fifth Graders to Elect Next U.S. President

Students learn to exercise their civil right now (rather than in 2016)!

 

Well-informed 5th graders of the Will Rogers Learning Community will put their knowledge of the constitution and the electoral process into practice on Tuesday, November 4th, along with millions of American adults, as they choose the nation’s next chief executive.   These Rogers students are becoming experts in five critical issues as they study the pros and the cons of each area – without yet knowing the specific platforms of Obama or McCain.  The two candidates are identified as “Candidate A” and “Candidate B” in order to force students to make a responsible choice solely on their convictions, not a popular or familial basis.   Students must even register to participate in the “Big Election,” which will consist of a popular vote in the morning, followed by the students’ own Electoral College in the afternoon.  Only at 2:30pm that day will student-chosen President-elect be unveiled.  Will it be Senator Barack Obama or Senator John McCain?

 

WHO:      5th Grade Students participating in a mock presidential election

               SMMUSD Superintendent Tim Cuneo

               SMMUSD Board of Education Members

               Irma Lyons, WRLC Principal

 

WHAT:    Mock Presidential Election to instill each individual’s civil right and privilege as Americans

 

WHEN:    Tuesday, November 4, 2008, at 9:30 (popular vote) and 1:45 (Electoral College).

 

WHERE:  Will Rogers Learning Community, Library

               2401 14th Street

               Santa Monica, CA 90405

 

Background Information on Will Rogers Learning Community

Will Rogers Learning Community (WRLC) is a Title I (K-5) school in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District.  The school serves a large and diverse population (528 students: 47% Hispanic/Latino, 30% White, 13% African American, 4% Asian, and 6% Other).  It is a leading school in the area of technology.  Its innovative staff consists of 17 experienced faculty participating in the esteemed Cotsen Art of Teaching Program, many post graduate degree holders, and National Board Certified Teachers.  Will Rogers’s teachers stress college exposure and expectations for all of its upper-grade students.   For more information about WRLC, visit www.rogers.smmusd.org.

 

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SANTA MONICA-MALIBU UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

1651 16TH Street, Santa Monica, CA 90404

ph: 310.450.8338; fax: 310.581.1138

www.smmusd.org