Washington School combined two ongoing programs to provide an opportunity for School Readiness and Kindergarten students to learn about citizenship through the voting process, using the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) and the Citizenship Pillar of the Respect Counts Program.
Mrs. Denice Oliver, Principal at Washington School, directs the Respect Counts Program, where students learn to show respect for all, be good citizens, practice responsibility, and care for others.
“Respect Counts” is an often-quoted phrase at Washington School as children learn to do “the safe thing, the kind thing, and to do their best work.” Weekly character words and student assemblies throughout the year provide learning opportunities in this area.
Emily Scheresky, Crookston Public School’s Food Service Director, continues implementing the FFVP, which serves a new fruit or vegetable to students thrice each week. The FFVP is funded by the US Department of Agriculture and is administered by the Minnesota Department of Education. The main goal of the FFVP is to increase the fruit and vegetable consumption of elementary school children and to provide nutrition education to children.
Bringing the programs together on Election Day, Tuesday, November 7, Washington School students voted on some of the food they had tried from the FFVP. The ballot showed these candidates for the election: Pomegranates, Pears, Corn, and Moon Drop Grapes.
Students used the privacy of a voting booth to select the ballot, place it in the box, and then wear an “I Voted” sticker. Moon Drop Grapes was the winner in both Pre-K and Kindergarten, gathering fifty-two percent of the votes. Pears, then Corn, ranked popular among the students.
The vote totals included-
Moon Drop Grapes received 80 votes, Pears received 27, Corn received 24, and Pomegranates received 21.
