Schools

'Golden Spatula' Award Teaches Students About Democracy At Lee Road Elementary School

Students at the Levittown elementary school are combining civics and math thanks to a new initiative.

Thomas Gambardella, Patch StaffVerified Patch Staff Badge
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First-Grader Claire Shim heads to her local polling location. (Credit: Levittown Public Schools)
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The first-grade voters in Emily Marek's class. (Credit: Levittown Public Schools )
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First-grader Liam Mundy carefully considers the options on his ballot. (Credit: Levittown Public Schools)

LEVITTOWN, NY. — Two weeks have passed since voters went to the polls nationwide, and Lee Road Elementary students are casting some votes of their own. The vote is given to classes throughout the school that win a monthly “Golden Spatula” award, which recognizes exceptional behavior in certain classes, and allows students to vote on their own reward.

Golden Spatula winners get to choose between an ice cream party or a special game day, district officials said, with ballots being tallied in-class on a bar graph. First-grade teacher Emily Marek led her class in the most recent Golden Spatula vote, and with 100 percent of precincts reporting, district officials said Marek’s class had chosen the game day.

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