Dear Parent/Guardian:
The 2016 Presidential
Election season is upon us and voters have many questions to consider before
they enter their polling place. Who would make the best
commander-in-chief? How will each candidate’s economic policy impact me
and my family? What are the candidate’s different plans to fight
terrorism? And, most importantly, who should I vote for?
Avonworth 8th grade
students have the answers! They will spend the month of October closely
examining the policies and proposals of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton in
Civics class. Then, on Tuesday, November 1 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.,
students will present their projects to parents, community members, and
undecided voters at their 2016 Election Night event.
Parents/Guardians: Please
plan to bring your child to the school on Tuesday, November 1 at 6:00 p.m. and
stay for the presentations that will take place in several different classrooms
in the Middle School.
Student projects and
presentations will include the following topics: Economy, Health Care,
Foreign Policy, Fight against Terrorism, Social Issues, Immigration,
Environment, and Gun Control.
Student projects and
presentations are intended to be informative in nature, meaning that students
will be instructed to report objectively on candidate’s policies and proposals
instead of negatively attacking their opponent’s ideas.
Official representatives
from both the Democrat and Republican Parties have also been invited to attend
this event. While not in attendance at the presentations, information
about Third Parties will also be introduced to students during Civics class so
they can learn more about the important role Third Parties play in U.S.
Elections. The decision to not include Third Parties in this event is
based the same criteria as the U.S. Commission on Presidential Debates who have
set a 15% polling threshold in order for a candidate to appear on the upcoming
presidential debates. If any third party candidate were to reach that
percentage and appear in the presidential debates, I would invite a
representative from that party to attend our event as well as be a part of our
student presentations.
In the meantime, I
encourage you to talk with your child about the election and inquire about the
project that they are completing in Civics class. See you on November
1st!
Please feel free to
contact me with any questions,
Jason R. Smith
jsmith@avonworth.k12.pa.us
8th Grade Civics
