Cobb fifth grader
wins Constitution poster contest
MEDIA
CONTACT: Matt Cardoza, GaDOE Communications Office, (404) 651-7358, mcardoza@gadoe.org
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September
15, 2015 – This week, each of Georgia’s
fourth graders – more than 120,000 students – will own a copy of the United
States Constitution and other founding documents.
In
an effort to increase civic awareness, State School Superintendent Richard
Woods and the Georgia Department of Education are distributing pocket copies of
the Constitution to every fourth grader in Georgia. All funding for the project
was donated – no taxpayer funds were used to purchase or distribute the
Constitutions. The pocket Constitutions also include the Declaration of
Independence, the lyrics of the national anthem, and the Pledge of Allegiance. Click to view a PDF of the booklet students received.
Throughout
the week of September 14 to 18, which is Constitution Week, Superintendent
Woods will visit schools to distribute copies personally to students. The
remaining copies have been shipped directly to schools.
To
celebrate completion of the project, the GaDOE also held a Constitution Poster
Contest for elementary students. Ida Shcherbak, a fifth grade student at Bells
Ferry Elementary School in Cobb County, created the winning entry. Click
to view an image of Ida’s entry.
“We
are providing these Constitutions as a gift for our students and, as a former
social studies teacher, as a resource for educators,” Superintendent Woods
said. “The Constitution is the bedrock of our beliefs and values as a country –
this document that begins, so appropriately, ‘we the people’ and not ‘we the
government.’ Knowing that more than 120,000 fourth graders can now carry those
words with them, literally and figuratively, is a great thing.”
The
constitutions were purchased and distributed using funds donated by the
American Legion – Department of Georgia, ITTI Global Inc., General Building
Maintenance, the Georgia Council on Economics Education, the Georgia Foundation
for Public Education, and anonymous donors.
“I’m
so grateful to these donors, who ensured that we could provide this important
resource to our students at no expense to Georgia taxpayers,” Superintendent
Woods said. “I deeply appreciate their assistance in our efforts to increase
the civic awareness of Georgia’s students.”
Superintendent Woods’ Scheduled Visits for
Constitution Day (September 17, 2015)
8:30
– 9:00 Assembly at Tift County Elementary School
9:30
– 10:00 Assembly at Worth County Elementary School
10:30
– 11:00 Assembly at Colquitt County Elementary School
11:30
– 12:00 Assembly at Cook County Elementary School
12:30
– 1:00 Assembly at Berrien County Elementary School
1:30
– 2:00 Assembly at Irwin County Elementary School
2:30
– 3:00 Assembly at Turner County Elementary School