Grade 3 Gets a Visit from Mayor Santellana
learning in action
Grade 3 received a special visit from Mayor Stephen Santellana today as they continued their Social Studies unit on local government. Mayor Santellana spent the afternoon with the class reviewing our own local government in Wichita Falls, and he even held mock elections for the class mayor with them.
The students eagerly listened to the mayor as he made connections from their Social Studies unit to real-life people and events, like local elections. He answered questions and engaged with the students to further their understanding of different offices and positions within the government.
Mayor Santellana helped our Grade 3 students truly understand local elections by holding a mock election. Bo and Matthew ran campaigns on helping animals, taking care of city plumbing, and more tacos - all current hot-button issues. Secret ballots were cast, and with the help of a chosen clerk, a winner was chosen among their peers. They then chose a council and ran a mock ordinance together as a class, getting fully immersed in the local political process.
“Today, I had the pleasure of talking to Mrs. Issa’s 3rd grade class about city government and our structure...I was able to tell them about how I always ask God for guidance in all that I do for Wichita Falls and how we start off every meeting with a prayer. We elected a mayor and council and went through a mock ordinance. The whole class got to participate, and they all had a good time!”
While Mayor Santellana is in his final days of being mayor of Wichita Falls, we are thankful he took the time out of his schedule to be with our students today. This was a lesson they’ll never forget!