When Isabella Carunungan's father, Israel, came home one snowy day this past February with a teddy bear, she was surprised.

"He told me to read the back. It said 'Hooray, your daddy is a U.S. citizen.' I was so proud of him," Isabella said, adding that she never knew her father, a Filipino, wasn't a U.S. citizen before that day.

Come Nov. 4, Isabella, a fifth-grader at Bellows Spring Elementary School in Ellicott City, will have to show her father the ropes so he's prepared for his first vote in a presidential election; knowledge she's gained in part thanks to a visit to the school from the League of Women Voters and the Howard County Board of Elections Sept. 23.

Invited by the school's Gifted and Talented resource teacher Amy Colman, these two groups came to supplement the fifth grade's studies of the U.S. Constitution, particularly the elections.

While the ladies from the League quizzed students on the electoral process, a few folks from the Board of Elections were on hand with a real ballot machine, where students were able to take turns and cast a mock vote for the president.

The winner of the vote? Sen. Barack Obama, with 34 votes. Sen. John McCain had 13 votes and the Green Party candidate Cynthia McKinney had one vote.

Joan Lancos, a member of the League, said that the way the votes broke down reflects how the state of Maryland will break down on election day.

"This school ... has been a microcosm of the state," she added.

Teacher Alison Rudo said it has been interesting to see how her students think the political process works versus the reality.

One area her students felt strongly about was the electoral college, something they were not happy with.

"The didn't think it was fair," Rudo said.

For Isabella, the "voting" experience will allow her to teach her father everything she has learned.

"He told me that I could teach him what I did. I've told him stuff he didn't know," she added.

* The Centennial High School PTSA is selling Entertainment Books (a coupon booklet) for the Baltimore-Washington area at a cost of $25, with $10 from each sale going to the PTSA. The books may be purchased online at www.entertainment.com/support (account number 131639) or at the school's front office (4300 Centennial Lane, Ellicott City).

The books are on sale until Dec. 10. Call Diane Bohr at 410-992-0322 or vbohr@verizon.net for more information.

* HC DrugFree will host two programs, the first, Tue., Oct. 7 from 7 to 8:30 p.m., is called "Teen2Teen: Alcohol, Drugs & All in Between." Atholton High School, 6520 Freetown Road, in Columbia. It is open to teens and parents.

The second program, a workshop titled "Whose Homework Is It Anyway? Promoting Academic Self-Reliance During the Teen Years," will be held Oct. 16, 7-8:30 p.m. at Long Reach High School, 6101 Old Dobbin Lane, Columbia. Call 443-325-0040 or go to www.hcdrugfree.org.

* St. John's Parish Day School in Ellicott City will host several open houses for parents of lower-school students (kindergarten to grade 5). The next two dates are Wed., Oct. 8, 9 a.m.-11 a.m. and Oct. 19, 1-3 p.m. The school is at 9130 Frederick Road, Ellicott City. Call 410-465-7644.

Send school-related items to School Days, Flier/Times, 10750 Little Patuxent Pkwy., Columbia, MD 21044. Fax items to 410-997-4564 or e-mail mroshan@patuxent.com.

user comments (0)