A constitutional matter: Area schools heed nation's guiding document
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on September 18, 2005 2:00 AM
Students in Wayne County Public Schools joined their peers around the country Friday in observing Constitution Day.
The designation was approved by Congress last year at the insistence of Sen. Robert Byrd of West Virginia, who said too many young Americans are ignorant of the document upon which their freedom is based.
The law calls for the day to be observed on Sept. 17, the day the Constitution was signed. Should that day fall on a weekend, schools have the choice of celebrating it on Friday or Monday.
Most Wayne schools chose Friday.
Many schools across the county planned special events and activities during the past week.
Rosewood Elementary culminated a week of activities on Friday with a ceremony around the school's flag pole. Students came to school dressed in red, white and blue, and the music teacher led everyone in singing several patriotic songs.
At Brogden Middle School, homerooms in each grade had a team to participate in a Constitution and Citizenship Day Quiz Bowl.
Edgewood Community Developmental School also had its students gather around the flagpole on Friday.
At Eastern Wayne High School, students rotated through five lessons during their social studies block as five social studies teachers divided up the following topics to teach: the structure and function of the constitution, the Bill of Rights, the preamble, the amendment process, and judicial interpretation.
Dean Sauls, lead teacher for social studies, said it was a pertinent event for school students.
"All students need to have a basic understanding of the Constitution and the guiding principles of our country," he said.