BPY students prepared for Election Day by taking part in some very special voting opportunities. Each elementary school grade focused on a specific age appropriate aspect of the election process. Students participated in various activities including multimedia presentations, election related read alouds, in depth class discussions and a study of primary resources. Then, each grade headed to the polls as they voted on a grade specific topic including voting on a snack for the upcoming trip, choosing a literary character for president, voting on a favorite book as well as other issues that are meaningful to the students. A special thank you to Sears Outlet in West Orange for the amazing voting booth! Students proudly wore their “I Voted” stickers representing their deeper understanding of the process.

In the middle school, the students experienced elections in a very different way. On Monday, there were middle school Student Council elections. Around Sukkot, students interested in running asked classmates to sign a nominating petition allowing them to run for a variety of positions. Once approved, they began their campaigns. The students took part in important conversations about how to run a clean campaign, the importance of being truthful and the necessity for voters to make educated decisions about the promises being made. After the candidates presented their campaign videos, the students went to the polls to elect the 2019-2020 Student Council.