Thoughtful discussions about how each division would approach the U.S. election started over the summer with the formation of a Civic Engagement Committee that included Head of School Susanna Waters, Assistant Head of School for the Educational Program Judi O’Brien, Director of Equity and Inclusion Jill Anthony, and faculty and administrators from all three divisions. Their guiding question was: How do we prepare our students to be well-informed, engaged citizens in a world that has become increasingly polarized? 

During opening meetings for faculty and staff, the committee presented a plan for the fall, which included age-appropriate educational and experiential learning opportunities in each division. They also reaffirmed the importance of disciplined nonpartisanship. “As a faculty–and this is not just during an election year–we never want our personal ideologies to come into play,” says History Department Chair John Beloff. Faculty and staff also discussed strategies for engaging in difficult conversations and the importance of encouraging dialogue over debate for expanding perspective and developing empathy. Rather than amplifying the media maelstrom surrounding the election and candidates, each division approached civic engagement by focusing on essential concepts that underpin our electoral system and that reinforce the values of being engaged and informed citizens. 

 

 

Primary School students learned about the concept of voting this fall as they “elected” a book to help newly-minted mascot Mortimer the Moose learn about Fay School values. Each classroom nominated a book and then voted to select a grade-level candidate. The Primary School faculty also put forward a candidate, bringing the total candidate pool to four books. Second graders wrote persuasive paragraphs in support of one of the four books, highlighting attributes that would make it a strong contender to win, which they read aloud in Primary Morning Meeting. “The exercise was an introduction to debate and perspective taking,” says second grade teacher Willa Gustavson. “While the book might not be that student’s choice, they had to think about its positive points.” 

During election season, students read a variety of stories about voting from a civic engagement collection curated by Primary Librarian Courtney Lauriat that illuminated concepts like Election Day, voting, and campaigning. Willa’s students also played a game called “This or That,” where they were offered a choice between two options, like whether it is better to be helpful or honest. Students chose the option they preferred by standing on that side of the room and were sometimes surprised to find that they had an idea that was different from their friends. “Students are starting to recognize that feeling of wanting to belong versus wanting to have your own ideas,” says Willa. “Some kids really liked being the only person on one side, and some didn’t, which prompted some great discussions.” 

On November 5, Primary School students lined up to cast their vote for one of the two finalists: Snail Crossing by Corey Tabor or Perfectly Imperfect Mira by Faith Pray. Kindergarten students constructed kid-sized voting booths hung with red and blue streamers for the event. Afterward, students like second grader Agastya were excited to get their “I Voted” sticker and share their chosen book. “I chose Perfectly Imperfect Mira because it shows Mortimer that you should always try your best and never give up,” Agastya said. The winner was announced to cheers by Head of Primary School Katie Knuppel in a special Zoom election report, and at the morning meeting before Thanksgiving vacation, Susanna read the winning book, Perfectly Imperfect Mira, to Mortimer.

 

While the average Lower School student may not have a nuanced opinion on tariffs, ask them about homework, snack options, recess, or the Fay dress code, and they’ll have plenty to say! This fall, social studies teacher Bruce Chauncey ran a Lower School mock election with candidates and issues that students cared about and a voting system that replicated the Electoral College. “I wanted the students to see how the system actually works,” says Bruce, “and I wanted them to have an immersive experience instead of just supplying them with information.” While fifth and sixth graders learn about the Constitution and the branches of government in social studies, the mock election was an opportunity for the entire Lower School to experience civic engagement as a community.

Bruce kicked off the project in Lower School Morning Meeting, where he explained the U.S. electoral system and how the popular vote in each state translates to electoral college votes. Then, he divided the Lower School into states with electoral points based on their population. Third Gradezona was the populous California of the division, with twelve electoral points, while the smaller Mertzerado had only five. Two fictional candidates stepped forward to run for President of the United States of the Lower School: Lara Gleason’s Ms. Jubilo representing the Literopublican Party and Nathan Chase’s Mr. Venandi representing the Mathomatic Party. 

Each week, Ms. Jubilo and Mr. Venandi gave stump speeches at lunch, presenting their views on issues like dress code and homework. Proposals like doubling the number of recesses in a school day drew cheers from the audience, while proposals like moving all homework to the weekends were met with groans and the occasional “Boo!” Sixth graders played a unique role in the election as roving pollsters, taking the pulse of the Lower School electorate after each policy speech, and posting the latest polling results on the election bulletin board. 

On November 5, Lower School students cast their vote in Upjohn, mirroring the process Americans were following across the country with a check-in, voting table, and check-out all staffed by sixth graders. Exit polling showed that many Lower School students were single-issue voters with picky eaters gravitating towards Ms. Jubilo’s pizza and soda snack platform while most students were dismayed by Mr. Venandi’s big projects over vacation homework policy. Bruce was pleased to see how engaged the students were with the candidate’s proposals. “You could hear kids coming into class talking about who they would support and why, and it was interesting to hear them start to form their opinions and weigh the pros and cons of each candidate’s ideas.” 

On the Friday before Thanksgiving vacation, the Lower School students had the opportunity to experience a school day that incorporated the policies of Ms. Jubilo, the winning candidate. They enjoyed pizza for snack, a simplified dress code of khakis and a polo shirt, and four recesses!

 

John Beloff led a formal Upper School Morning Meeting program this fall to educate students about the electoral process. He explained how the Electoral College works, why some states become “swing states,” and why the candidate who wins the popular vote is not guaranteed to win the election. Even though the presidential election gets most of the attention, John also explained that Americans vote for other things on Election Day. Ballots include midterm elections for the House and Senate and the opportunity to exercise direct democracy by voting for state ballot initiatives.

Recognizing that Upper School students are consuming election information from a variety of sources, Judi O’Brien emphasized information literacy, sharing a media bias evaluation tool with students so they could see whether a news source is generally balanced or leans left or right. “We’re always emphasizing the importance of evaluating sources for objectivity, accuracy, and relevance as part of our research process,” says Judi. An informed citizen must ask the same questions about news sources: Does the author have some expertise on the subject? Is their approach in favor of one posture or another? Are any claims or opinions supported by evidence?

Aspects of the electoral process are also illuminated in the Upper School history curriculum throughout the year. When Ancient World History students learn about Greece and Rome, they’ll discuss the ways in which those republics are analogous to ours. In the Modern World Cultures study of independence movements around the world, conversations around voting, human rights, and representative government continue. In Topics of Modern America, John delves into the 1948 election between Dewey and Truman, where electoral math becomes decisive in the election outcome. “We don’t just end a focus on civic engagement after the election,” says John. “At every grade level in the Upper School, there are civic engagement discussions throughout the year that directly connect to our governmental processes in the United States.”

Each division offered appropriate time and space for students to share and ask questions about the election results the day after the election. In Primary and Lower School, students had this opportunity during morning homeroom. In Upper School, students could eat a quick lunch and then join a post-election discussion with Jill, Judi, and Director of Counseling Services Shannon Dugger in the Student Lounge. Judi was impressed by how focused the students were with their questions. “The students were so earnest, and Jill, Shannon and I could have stayed another hour just answering questions about how it all works and what it means,” she reflects. “The students were just so engaged.”