SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) - Students at two Sioux City elementary schools are getting the final say on what to name a new school.
Washington elementary students voted on potential names Monday and students at Whittier elementary will vote Tuesday, according to the Sioux City Journal (https://bit.ly/1pK3K8d).
Both schools will close after the new elementary opens in August 2015.
Washington Principal Dawn Stansbury said the voting was intended to give the children a role in choosing a name for the school many of them ultimately will attend, but it also was a lesson in elections.
“We wanted the kids to vote because we wanted it to be a learning experience so they can learn the procedures that go into becoming an informed voter,” Stansbury said. “I think it’s important that they learn about the actual process.”
Although the students will select the new name, parents and teachers also had a role. They established a list of 14 names, and then narrowed that down to seven. School staffers then chose four options, which were presented to students.
The options were Discovery, Journey, Lewis and Morningside. The winning name likely will be presented to the school board in May.
At Washington on Monday, students voted at desks shielded by cardboard dividers and placed ballots in a voting machine provided by the city.
Student Madison King was surprised by the process.
“The machine looked different than I thought it would,” said Madison, who opted for Lewis. “I thought it would just be a big box that you put your paper in.”
Classmate Caelin Dalcourt, who chose Morningside, said the ballot machine looked like “a printer that goes backwards.”
The election prompted Madison to speculate about one day voting for U.S. president.
“I’m actually kind of nervous to vote for president,” she said. “It’s big and for the whole country. I’m scared I’ll make the wrong choice and be bummed.”
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Information from: Sioux City Journal, https://www.siouxcityjournal.com
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