Students in the Grade 5 class at Walnut Road Elementary in Surrey

MAY 20, 2009

Walnut Road Elementary is a small school in the Surrey-Fleetwood riding.  Patti A. Ellis is the school’s Student Vote Team Leader.  With her Grade 5 class, she organized the month long campaign and the Student Vote Day voting station where 185 students cast ballots.

During a visit to the school, students met with Steve Goetz, the Student Vote Senior Correspondent, to discuss democracy, elections, leadership and issues being debated in the campaign.  The students were exceptionally well informed and prepared for Student Vote Day.

When asked whether they had been discussing the election at home, many students had watched the leaders’ debate with their parents and discussed the different political parties seeking office. One student’s parents were relying on him to provide context to the ballot question. Being a family of new citizens, the young man was learning important information about the election and sharing it with his parents so they would be more confident in casting their ballots.

Mrs. Ellis first participated with Student Vote during the 2008 Federal Election.  She had this to say in an email to Student Vote following the completion of the BC project:

“ I have taught for  27 years and have always struggled with the Government part of the Grade 5 Social Studies curriculum.  I wanted to change my own attitude and set it as a personal and professional goal to excite my students about our democratic rights and responsibilties.

“We took on the Student Vote project, learning and organizing together.  This has helped me immensely. The experience completely changed my attitude and approach to the curriculum. 

“Along with all the materials, support and my renewed attitude, I know my students will exercise their right and that they get it!  I think their knowledge now is better than the majority of adults I know…very exciting!”

CLICK HERE TO SEE WALNUT ROAD ELEMENTARY’S ELECTION RESULTS

     A bulletin board devoted to the election campaign outside Mrs. Ellis’s classroom

     Patti A Ellis | Grade 5 Teacher

     The Student Vote BC poster in the hallway at Walnut Road Elementary

Posted in School Profiles |

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