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Lady Liberty and
Uncle Sam are Spring Woods Middle
teacher Maya Whitten and Assistant
Principal Bill Burger.
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Campuses observed Constitution Day and
Celebrate Freedom Week recently with events
that ranged from a patriotic assembly at
Spring Woods Middle School to an innovative
art and social studies project at SBISD’s
School of Choice that resulted in the creation
of several so-called “Big Presidential
Candidate Heads.”
First introduced in Texas seven years ago,
Celebrate Freedom Week was moved by state
law this school year from November to the
week of Sept. 17. Every school that accepts
state or federal funds is required to observe
Freedom Week and Constitution Day.
Freedom Week’s primary goal is “to
educate students about the sacrifices made
for freedom in the founding of this country
and the values on which this country was
founded.” Across Spring Branch,
social studies classrooms echoed with the
words and history lessons embedded in the
Declaration of Independence and U. S. Constitution,
the fundamental law of the nation.
At Spring Woods Middle, 9810 Neuens, students
memorized the Preamble of the Constitution
and studied the document’s history
and basic meaning.
On Sept. 20-21, the middle school students
attended two Freedom Assemblies where they
enjoyed seeing Assistant Principal Bill
Burger costumed as a youthful Uncle Sam
and teacher Maya Whitten, who was dressed
as New York City’s iconic Lady Liberty.
Art teacher Casey Luna created 8-feet tall
Uncle Sam and Lady Liberty figures, too.
Maya Whitten, a native of Caracas, Venezuela,
had a deeply personal reason to recognize
the nation’s historical standing as
a beacon of hope and opportunity. On Sept.
12, she became a U.S. citizen herself.
Eighth-grade students served as Freedom
Assembly speakers. Four Spring Woods High
students who are members of the Navy JROTC
program at the Guthrie Center presented
the colors. The band and choir learned patriotic
songs, while photographs of American people
and places appeared on the auditorium walls
as students joined in song.
As part of the week’s observance,
each Spring Woods Middle student made a
star and wrote what it meant to them in
their social studies classes.
These stars will be on display until Veteran’s
Day, along with a Hall of Fame display where
students have posted photographs of family
members and friends who are either currently
serving in the U.S. military or are military
veterans.
At School of Choice, 9016 Westview, meanwhile,
a huge cross-curriculum project combined
the talents of art, social studies and language
arts teachers and students to honor and
celebrate Freedom Week and Constitution
Day.
Art & Project Specialist Joanne Frimel
worked with Department Chair Laura Smith
and social studies teachers Linda McCarthy,
Janet Barthlomew-Murray, Joyce Roberta Miller-Alper,
Dan Jones and John Gordon to create the
Constitution Week Trivia Game and “Big
Presidential Candidate Heads” project.
The idea was born when art teacher Frimel
and social studies teacher Miller-Alper
visited Philadelphia’s Independence
Hall during a national education convention.
School of Choice students were asked to
read the Constitution’s Article II,
which creates the executive branch and includes
the President and other executive officers.
Students then answered questions about Democratic
and Republican Presidential hopefuls.
“One day, you, a School of Choice
student, might decide to run for President
of the United States where, through hard
work and determination, dreams do come true.
If you want to find out how to be President,
look up Article II in the U.S. Constitution,” one
part of the trivia game stated.
“We’ll also give our attention
to those Americans who aspire to be your
next President! Those individuals who have
the desire to take an oath to faithfully
execute the Office of the President of the
United States of America to the best of
their ability, and to preserve, protect,
and defend the Constitution of the United
States of America.”
Correct answers on the Presidential Hopefuls
Trivia Game earned the students coupons
for ice cream. Student-created caricatures
of the candidates lined the School of Choice’s
halls, one hall for Democrats and another
for Republicans. The enormous art “heads” known
as the “Big Presidential Candidate
Heads” included facts and statements
about the particular candidate depicted.
In addition, students in Bob Koupa’s
Language Arts classes designed and made “Crazy
Campaign Hats,” which symbolized platforms
and positions taken by the candidates. A
tree representing the three branches of
U.S. government – with its roots symbolizing
the Constitution – decorated the school’s
main hallway. It was created by social studies
teacher John Gordon’s students with
the bridge-to-high school program called
Jumpstart.
To learn more about Freedom Week, please
visit SBISD’s Curriculum & Instruction
site at http://www.springbranchisd.com/instruc/soc-stud/ssindex.htm,
or visit the Texas Education Agency’s
Social Studies Center at http://www.tea.state.tx.us/ssc/ to
learn more about both Freedom Week and Constitution
Day.
posted 10-10-07
