News
Inauguration Day A Learning Op At Area Schools
By Ryan Fennell
WITH VARIOUS BUS trips and social gatherings planned for next Tuesday's historic inauguration of Barack Obama to the office of President of The United States, several schools are preparing a day's worth of education not only on this particular ceremony but also the presidency and its history.
According to Long Branch Superintendent of Schools Joseph Ferraina, activities are planned for January 20, 2009 from the pre-school through grade 12. "We are doing a lot of things," Ferraina said.
According to Ferraina the elementary school will be watching the inauguration and then will be asked to do a writing assignment regarding the experience. The students will have the option to write an essay entitled 'If I were president' or writing a letter to the newly inaugurated President and can also write songs or poems regarding the experience.
The elementary students will also be learning the history of the presidents and be assigned writing their own inaugural speeches.
The Middle School students will gather in the auditorium for a live broadcast of the event and in their English and history classes be asked to come up with a thirty second commercial regarding their experience watching the first African-American being sworn into the highest office in the nation.
High school students will also be gathering to watch the inauguration and likewise creating 30-second commercials about the experience in their English and history classes.
The commercials will be entered into a contest and the winners will be broadcast through the schools.
In the Middletown Township school districts, students from grades five through 12 will be watching the inauguration live in their classrooms with discussions to follow.
Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School will also be making adjustments to their normal school schedules according to the superintendent's office.
RFH seniors will be allowed to gather in the school's auditorium to watch the inauguration while underclassmen will watch in their respective classrooms at the time of the broadcast.
At Monmouth University, students and members of the community can watch the inauguration live at the Pollak Theater beginning at 11:30 a.m.
