Students at P.S. 36 in St. Albans know that you don’t have to be old enough to vote to be interested in politics and the inauguration of the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama.
Throughout Tuesday’s inauguration day, the school, which has 495 students in kindergarten through fifth grade, held various related activities, including performances, an Obama Jeopardy game and even making patriotic decorations.
Although in other years teachers showed the inaugurations on smart boards in their individual classrooms, this year students gathered in the auditorium to watch it. School Principal Lynn Staton said that most of the students at the school are African-American and that they had followed the election closely. She said that it was the excitement of the students and their desire to share the experience that led to the inauguration events.
“I think I have some potential presidents here at P.S. 36,” Staton said. “If I can get the kids involved in just understanding the political process through this, then that sets some of them on their way to their futures.”
Staton said that the students were active in following the entire presidential election. The inauguration events were the culmination of all that.
“We got everybody involved,” Staton said of the day’s events.
Fifth grade student Zukuyeh Brown said that he felt pride to see the first African-American president sworn in and fellow fifth grader Daniel Kissoom said that he felt fortunate to be able to watch the inauguration in school.
“It’s a very historical moment for me,” said Moia Rattry, also a fifth grader.
The students wrote letters to Obama expressing what they wanted him to accomplish and even offered him some tips on how they could help. Rattry wanted to see the war in Iraq end, and she suggested in her letter that the bus schedules be improved.
Tishara Jarvis said her letter included that the war be stopped so that her family members serving overseas could come home. She also tacked on a P.S. asking the new president to set up a play date between herself and Obama’s daughter Sasha.
Kissoom said his letter was about his feelings on Obama’s election. He asked him to help schools and take care of the streets.
Ronya Bracey, a resident of St. Albans who has two children at P.S. 36, said that she was grateful that the school thought the inauguration was worthy enough to have such a celebration. She also said it’s very exciting for her children.
Bracey said that Obama becoming president shows that everyone has the opportunity now to become president, and she hopes the students will recognize that “excellence is always required,” a thought echoed by the school’s principal.
“I think they’ll believe that they can do it,” Staton said. “It gives them hope that they can be anything they want to be, that they just have to try and they have to work hard. I think it gives belief to the children.”
Following the inauguration, Jarvis said that it was hard to describe how she felt after having seen Obama take the presidential oath.
“It’s such an experience to me. I never thought a black person would become President,” Jarvis said. “It inspires me to show that I can be president one day.”
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