The seven students, who were selected in a mock election at school, participated in a South Lebanon Village Council meeting under the guidance of the actual council.
Third-grade Mayor Alex Farnham and her council members, Conor Elder, Aiden Sanders, Bryce Taylor, Pyper Russell, Kylene Werner and Sam Wik, enacted their own legislation to declare Jersey Day at SLE and helped approve actual South Lebanon ordinances with their mentor council members standing behind them giving advice.
“Students learned what happens at a council meeting and how to run it. They learned about some of the issues that South Lebanon is dealing with, discussing and taking action toward improving,” said third-grade teacher Amanda Wey.
To help teach students about the election process, Wey and her other third-grade teachers decided to create the school’s first mock council.
South Lebanon Mayor Jim Smith visited the school earlier in the fall to discuss the roles and responsibilities of mayor and council members. Then 30 third-grade students ran for seven positions. They had to write a speech or essay and display a campaign poster. The entire third grade voted on Nov. 7.
“We are hoping that the students are able to have a working lunch a couple of times this year to agree on different motions about things that affect our community,” Wey said.
Participating in the village meeting “was an amazing, engaging and educational opportunity for students,” said Wey.
“As the teacher of these students, it was really inspiring to see them at the council meeting. They did a great job of representing SLE and really put forth their best efforts,” she said. “It would be amazing to see these students supporting any community that they are a part of in the future, especially on a board of some kind.”
Alex, who is somewhat reserved, said she enjoyed taking part in the legislative process. Mayor Smith instructed her on how to conduct the meeting, and she announced the next item of business and asked the secretary to call the roll for each ordinance.
“The most fun thing about it was that I got to sit up in front of all those people and speak,” she said. “I liked being in charge and working with everyone. I learned about what all of those big words I said meant and how a meeting is run. I would love to do it again.”
Wey said Alex took to the leading role at the council meeting.
“For me a teacher, it was amazing to see Alex come out of her shell more and more as the meeting progressed. At the end she was a natural,” she said.
Third-grader Aiden Sanders said, “It was nice to meet all of the council members at the meeting. Signing the papers made me feel important. I also learned that to pass something you have to say, ‘Yay.’ ”
Bryce Taylor said, “I learned that being a council member is a very important job, and you help to pay the bills for the city. I liked that we got to talk a lot at the meeting and sign papers.”
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