Peabody Students Visit State House For Government Day Events

PEABODY, MA — Two Peabody Veterans Memorial High School students and one Bishop Fenwick student visited the State House and met with State Rep. Thomas Walsh (D-Peabody) as part of Student Government Day on Friday.

Student Jenna Johnson, a junior at Bishop Fenwick, joined Peabody Veterans Memorial High School students Steven Hachey and Emilly Sousa Santos in a simulated legislature complete with debate on legislation requiring school districts to create policies on cellphone usage in schools.

“It was a joy to meet with Jenna, Emilly, and Steven as they proudly represented the city of Peabody on Beacon Hill this morning at Student Government Day," Walsh said. "I am impressed by their passion for civics and their interest in government, and I thank their teacher, Brian Donovan, for helping to prepare our next generation of leaders by fostering their curiosity.”

According to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, the sponsor of the event, Student Government Day, provides educators and students from Massachusetts's public and private high schools with many opportunities to learn firsthand about state government.

Student Government Day enables government officials to engage with students and allows students to express their views on important current issues through prepared debates.

Student Government Day allows students to engage in the legislative process through simulated committee hearings and formal sessions of the House and Senate. Student Government Day offers students the chance to engage with their peers from across the state on various statewide issues.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)