Constitution explained to Edwardsburg students

Published 6:19 pm Thursday, September 15, 2005

By Staff
In 2004, the United States Congress passed a little-known provision that "every school and college that receives federal money must teach about the Constitution on Sept. 17, the day the document was adopted in 1787."
If Sept. 17 falls on a Saturday or Sunday as it does in 2005, schools must schedule a program immediately before or after that date.
On Monday, Sept. 19, students and staff members at Edwardsburg Intermediate School will celebrate "Constitution Day."
Individuals will be encouraged to demonstrate their patriotism by wearing Red-White-Blue clothing to school that day.
During morning announcements, students in each classroom will recite the Pledge of Allegiance followed by the Preamble to the Constitution.
Two school-wide video presentations entitled "The United States Constitution" and "The Preamble" will be shown at 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. in conjunction with a variety of classroom activities scheduled to occur throughout the day.
At 10:55 a.m., the student body will assemble in front of the school where members of the Edwardsburg Cub Scout Pack No. 539 will lead a formal flag-raising ceremony.
This will be followed by participation in the National Anthem Project, where students throughout the nation have been encouraged by the Music Educators National Conference (MENC) and our nations' first-lady, Mrs. Laura Bush, to learn the words, the official name and the lyricist of our National Anthem, taught to students during their Music Education classes by Mrs. Michelle Gruver.
With Constitution Day coming up Sept. 17, Dowagiac attorney Roosevelt Thomas reviewed this remarkably durable document Monday afternoon at Cass District Library for Capt. Samuel Felt Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR).
His comments can be read on Page 2 in today's Argus. A display about our country's Constitution has been set up by Margaret Hunter and is on view at the Cass District Library, Main Branch.