This is an exciting year for the Grade 5 students at RMS. As part of the social studies curriculum, Grade 5 students learn about the role of governments and responsible citizenship. On October 19th, 2015 Canada will be voting in a new Prime Minister. In tandem with this election, Grade 5 students conducted a mock election program called Student Vote (http://www.studentvote.ca/) on October 15, 2015.
With a growing trend of voter apathy (only 61% of eligible voters cast a ballot in the 2011 federal election), civic education at Rowntree is a top priority. Student Vote is run by an organization called CIVIX (http://www.civix.ca/), a national, charitable organization that is committed to fostering in young Canadians a sense of civic responsibility and engaged, active citizenship. CIVIX provides experiential learning opportunities to help young Canadians practice their rights and responsibilities. In the last federal election, 563,000 students cast ballots from 3,750 schools.
This year, Grade 5 students were responsible for educating their peers on the platforms of the parties running in our riding. The Grade 5 class visited with every class from Grades 3-8 and presented on the key issues that they felt were of concern to them (education, health care, energy, jobs, and housing) in order for their peers to make an informed decision when they voted. The Grade 5 students ran the polling stations for all the staff and students of RMS. From creating campaign posters, to preparing the voters’ list, to overseeing the ballots, the Grade 5 class ran this election from start to finish. In doing so, they developed a better understanding of the democratic process in Canada, and they are very interested to learn the results of this Federal election.
What’s even more exciting is that the results of the Student Vote all across the nation will be tallied and announced during the telecast of the real election results! Results will also be published in regional daily newspapers the following day. Stay tuned to see how the youth of Ontario votes.
We look forward to seeing you and sharing with you the private school community of which we are so proud!
To learn more about Rowntree Montessori Schools (RMS), continue browsing our website and ideally drop by any of our 5 welcoming, friendly and family oriented campuses for a personal tour anytime Monday-Friday 9:00am-3:00pm. If you prefer, call to book an appointment for a personal tour anytime Monday-Friday 9:00am-3:00pm.
More details about Rowntree Montessori Schools‘ approach to education can be seen by clicking here.
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