MKA Middle Schoolers Exercise a Right to Vote

Exercising one's civic duty started early for MKA Middle School students as they considered issues raised by their Student Government and exercised their right to vote in campus-wide ballots held on December 16.

For the second year in a row, Essex County Clerk Christopher Durkin and the County Clerk's office provided a real voting machine, together with sample ballots similar to those sent to county voters, while the MKA Parents' Association provided volunteers to oversee voter registration in order to make the experience even more realistic.

There were three questions on the ballot for students to decide: their choice, from six, for a) an national/international charity and b) a local charity to be the recipient of funds raised at the annual Middle School Student vs. Faculty Basketball game (held in February), and their vote on whether they would like an indoor classroom supplied with board games made available to them during lunch recess on rainy days.

After heavy voter turnout in grades 4-8, the recipients of proceeds from the 2015 Basketball game will be divided between St. Jude's Children's Hospital and The Valerie Fund, while the establishment of an indoor games room was voted in with a landslide!