Published: September 18, 2008 01:18 am      

Foundation of law

Bill of rights ceremony among Constitution Day activities in schools

FAIRVIEW — “We, the students of Fairview Middle, in order to maintain a school of the highest quality, to establish equality and fairness, to ensure a safe and clean learning environment, to promote school pride and spirit to ourselves and future students do establish this Fairview Middle School Student Bill of Rights.”

In the bright sunshine early Wednesday morning, Fairview Middle students and staff looked on as principal Steve Rodriguez signed the student-created bill of rights into school “law” for another year.

It was all part of the school’s celebration of Constitution Day, the day devoted to learning more about the document that is the foundation for our country’s laws.

In 2004, U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., attached an amendment to a federal spending bill that requires publicly funded educational institutions to provide educational materials and activities on the history of the Constitution on that day.

Celebrations were held in schools all over Marion County, from the Fairview Middle event to the Barnes Learning Center, which dedicated the school’s newly renovated “liberty bell.”

In Fairview, students dressed in red, white and blue flanked a table decorated in the school’s colors. Rodriguez, aided by the local chapter of Girl Scouts, raised new American and West Virginia flags which were donated by English teacher Ellen Henderson to honor her late father-in-law.

The students then recited the Pledge of Allegiance, led by pre-kindergarten student Sarah Moscufo, who slapped her tiny hand against Rodriguez’s in a high-five for her good work.

This is the first year pre-kindergarten students have been in class at Fairview Middle, Rodriguez said.

“The pre-k are a little nervous,” he said. “This is the first time they’ve been involved with the big kids.”

Including the pre-kindergarten students was a priority for this year’s celebration, said Robert Moore, the school’s dean of students and organizer of the event.

“It’s important that all the students participate,” Moore said. “Sarah was so excited, she kept saying ‘I know the pledge. I can do it all by myself.’”

The school’s bill of rights was created by the eighth-grade class a few years ago. Each year, the eighth grade looks at the document and amends it. A signing ceremony takes place on Constitution Day. Afterward, the official document is posted in the school’s hallway for all to read.

Eighth-grader Anthony Tiano read the document before the school and presented it to Rodriguez for approval or veto. Rodriguez asked the students if they had all read and approved of the document before declaring he approved it as well, adding his signature at the bottom.

E-mail Katie Wilson at kwilson@timeswv.com.