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are we all kind of good morning everyone how's everyone doing good thanks for waiting for us it's truly a pleasure to be here with every everyone today um just for those who may not know and I know our students know this year our
district does a theme every year and this year our theme uh is be present right it's a simple but powerful reminder that true engagement goes beyond just showing up right we know that's half the battle but it means bringing your full attention your
passion and your energy to every moment and we've had some students that have actually done some videos here on that nowhere in my opinion is the power of presence more evident than here with our students um whether it's through your participation in class your curiosity um
exploring new ideas which we we just witnessed in a social studies lesson um or the kindness that you show to one another it's a reminder that presence is more about phys Than Physical space it's about connection it's about engagement and commitment to make every moment
count right so today we are incredibly fortunate to have Leaders with us today who embody the same idea of presence not only in their titles but in their actions their commitment to public education is visible and deeply felt in
the work that they do every day for us behind the scenes I just want to extend a special welcome to massachusett Secretary of Education Dr Patrick Tutwiler we're very grateful for his leadership at the state and continuously shows up for the children of
Massachusetts I also want to recognize and thank our school committee Miss Jackson along with representative Badger Senator Fernandez as well as our school administration guests from the Department of Education the Board of Education um the Executive Office of
Education your presence here today is greatly appreciated and again reinforces your dedication to our schools and we deeply appreciate that uh before I turn it over to our very special guest I want to take a moment to recognize two people that couldn't be here today but Have
Been instrumental in what we're here to celebrate too governor moraly and lieutenant governor Driscoll they too exemplify what it means to be present in public education their leadership and their commitment to ensuring that every student in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has access to high quality
education is inspiring so it's through their efforts to and helping to shape educ educational Equity that they're helping to shape your future so back to Dr ttw Dr towell's had a remarkable career from teacher to principal
superintendent and now Secretary of Education really big job and his dedic he demonstrates his deep education through his career his presence in our schools throughout Massachusetts listening to our Educators our students our fifth graders our preschoolers just
a while ago is a reflection of his commitment to meaningful change and we're honored to have him today so on behalf of the entire uh town of Plymouth Plymouth Public Schools I just want to thank you for your commitment to public education your presence in our schools
is greatly appreciated and your advocacy as well so it now it is my great pleasure to introduce Massachusetts secretary Dr Patrick tyer well now good morning good
morning all right now fifth graders all right uh Dr Campbell I just don't want to break this I you know going to give that to you here how's everyone feeling good having a good day so far it's Thursday yeah yeah yeah all right well
again uh my name is Pat tutweiller and I have the privilege and pleasure of serving as your secretary of education we can talk later about what that actually means what that individual actually does but I'll just say at a really high level I work in partnership
with uh superintendent and with our colleagues at the Department of Education to make sure that you have everything that you need to learn and grow and develop and realize your dreams that's that's my job at at a at a high level um wanted to uh just quickly begin
this morning with gratitude I had an opportunity to see two classrooms uh this morning as Dr Campbell mentioned one was a prek classroom and I don't see that teacher in here but then I had an opportunity to watch uh a civics lesson
in the library and I do see I thought I saw that teacher there she is um you're you're surrounded you're in a school with really incredible adults who are committed to your learning and your growth can we just give them a quick Round of Applause to show our thanks for
them there are other people who work really hard to make sure that you have uh what you need I consider myself among them but also uh the chair of the board of Elementary and secondary education uh Katherine Craven is one of those people let's give her a round of
applause and then there are groups of people as Dr Campbell mentioned that work behind the scenes you probably don't have many chances to meet them but they support the work that goes into uh making your classrooms really really awesome and that's the people at the
department of Elementary and secondary uh education and we have a few of them here if you would just raise your hands our desie friends would you give them a round of applause as well so we just had a chance to observe a civics lesson the investigating
history lesson really great conversation those are some of the people who had a hand in developing those learning experiences for you and we're we're deeply we're deeply grateful for that so do you know what's special about this every week is special but you know what's special about this
week please what's your name CH Chase Jace you're you're awesome he said we're having a a new social studies thing going on here this week and he's right he is right you're absolutely right does anybody else know what's special about this week do you know the
name of this week yes please your name Civic week Civic learning week yes are you excited about that do you think that's the wrong answer do you think I'm excited about it I am super excited about it uh and
I'm excited to be here with you in the land of you guys are the huskys right in the land of the huskys to celebrate the launch of Civic learning week um this is a a special time to learn a little bit about history a little bit about
community and a whole lot about the power of your voices okay Civic uh Civic learning is not just about government right but it it's it's about highlighting the rights and responsibilities that we all have as
people and so to you I say my beloved Huskies you especially need to get involved because you can make a difference and I do mean that even right now students just like you are engaging in big decision making happening at the
state level there's a youth climate uh Council there's a student advisory State student student advisory Council and even at the local level in in students individual communities serving as Representatives on uh the school
committee uh I have to say that today I particularly love seeing uh those of you who are in the library a few minutes ago engage so meaningfully with investigating history curriculum and I can tell you uh at least what I saw at uh table number one and I see a couple
of those folks uh here um I was just blown Away by the level of your conversation by the level of the collaboration by the way you're thinking about some of the more difficult questions of our time and that left me
feeling like we are in such great hands with you as our young and and aspiring leaders now uh as Dr Campbell mentioned many many years ago I'm sort of an old man now I started my career in education
as a history teacher okay and one of the things that I really love about history the way that I sort of think about history is that it's a collection of really powerful stories right I love stories and Massachusetts has some of
the most exciting stories in our history but there's something that's really important to remember not every story has been told right uh and some of the most incredible people who have helped shaped our state
and this country are not in every textbook so today and I already shared this with uh Jake I don't know if he's in here Jake my guy who interviewed me a few minutes ago so he knows but today I'm so excited uh to announce an
opportunity that we're bringing to all of you and across uh students uh across the state and it's called Massachusetts revolutionaries bold stories bright legacies that sounds amazing doesn't it
say it with me bold stories bright legacies one more time bold stories bright legacies three times bold stories bright legacies right on um this initiative will engage
students just like you across the state to learn more about our state's revolutionary figures but this project is really about you helping tell uh the stories of people who made a difference in Massachusetts especially those whose
stories we have not heard enough about maybe you want to share a story of a hero from right here in Plymouth a scientist perhaps who made a big Discovery or a leader who fought for fairness and Justice you get to decide and the best
part you can tell these stories in in your own way as I told Jake earlier you can draw a picture if you're of the artistic persuasion you can make a video uh you can even create a 3D model
whatever speaks to you history isn't just about the past it's about learning from those who came before us so that we can build a brighter future and I can't wait to see what you all create I want to thank you
all for being in incredible Audience by the way uh but also for being curious creative and ready to make history come alive let's get started now uh it is my honor to turn it
over to Natasha Scott who is the director Ed uh director of educator engagement for I Civics and uh this is an organization that is dedicated to advancing Civic learning so that young people just like you have the confidence to shape the world around them and
believe in our country's future let's give it up for Natasha well now okay let me rewind that uh I'm actually going to turn it over to the senator who has a few words to share with you and then Natasha all right all right no you're good uh well good
morning guys so good to be with you how we feeling good I'm feeling good too um well look I just it's an honor to be with you guys I'm your state senator here I also graduated and attended Public Schools right here in our
district and I just want to say that we are so fortunate to be here in Massachusetts we're a state that that loves education or actually I think the only state that has uh the right to education enshrined in our
Constitution and right here in Massachusetts we have the oldest we are the oldest constitutional Dem ocracy in the world which is pretty cool and so um it's on all of us to kind of keep that
all of us play a part in that this is democracy our society um it's about participation and so in uh in the state house in Beacon Hill has anyone been in the State House the golden dome building well you guys are all welcome anytime
it's a public building you should come it's your house but there we passed uh a few years ago Civics education bill which makes it uh so that kids your age and up have have Civics education so that they're
involved they're participating and they're they're they're members active members in our democracy and if we want to sustain the values that we were talking about and our at our table table three today around shared values around humanity and
freedom Liberty uh that requires us all participating in it and so just sitting at that table with you guys today I know that our future is bright by the way uh you guys there were three decisions to make today right um and we all made the
decision uh all three tables uh that was I think the opposite of what the president's made at the time but you know what you guys actually made in my view the right decisions there so I think you guys are future leaders your future policy makers and that should
give you guys some some courage right you actually making decisions better than some of the the biggest leaders uh at the time like that's how smart and thoughtful and engaged you are uh and it gives me a lot of Hope for the future so
thank you guys for for for having me and being with us and with that I'll turn it over to Michelle Badger uh your local state representative good morning you all are the best audience I have to say when I was thinking about having to speak I was thinking there'd be a bunch of adults
but you guys are way better to talk in front of so I really appreciate how well you pay attention I mean I can tell you I've been to a bunch of these and you all are the best listeners CU that is not what that happens with adults I think we can all agree uh but good
morning and I just wanted to welcome secretary Tutwiler and everyone who came here today for taking the time to visit Plymouth to see our incredible preschool program witness our Civic uh curriculum in action which was amazing in my group just as spectacular as everyone else's
group and had those really deep discussions that I don't think I know I didn't have the opportunity to have as a students you're all really very lucky and to explore some of our CCT programs later we're so proud of the outstanding opportunities we provide to our students
and we appreciate your interest in seeing them firsthand as someone who went through through this very school system I didn't go here I went to South Elementary but I graduated from Puma South High School um and that was on the school committee for 13 years I have seen firsthand the incredible
transformation that our district has had in the last 20 years the progress is a testament to the dedication of our principes curriculum coordinators teachers staff administrators superintendent then the list goes on their their leadership and
commitment have made Plymouth a mod model for Innovation and comprehensive education this week we celebrate as we already talked about Civics week a time to highlight the importance of civic education in shaping and engagement and informed citizens Civics learning is a
fundamental part of Elementary social studies curriculum because it teaches students about their roles and responsibilities in our democracy by understanding government Community involvement and Democratic principles at an early age our students gain the tools
they need to participate actively in society which we all know is very important and helps to create a society where all voices are heard we need young people just like yourself who understand not just how government works but how they can get involved the earlier we
start getting involved the better the better prepared our students will be to contribute to our communities in the Plymouth Public Schools they've developed a robust Civics curriculum that Fosters critical thinking respect for diverse perspectives and appreciation for rights and
responsibilities that sustain a healthy democracy through inquiry based learning and Real World Experience they align the their approach within the Massachusetts history and social studies framework ensuring that students are not only learning but living it as we were talking about earlier I know as a lover
of History myself and Civics I was at even from a young age your age I was so excited when I had when I was at a school committee meeting a few years back and it was announced that we were really delving into a new way to teach social studies and my my high school
classmate or I should say elementary middle and high school classroom Rob powers in the back um showed us get a shout out right um all about how we were going to really enhance the learning of our students with documents and
understanding the way government really works not just this is what's in a book but this is what actually happens that all voices matter and that learning how to debate an idea is so important to our society and what we hold as our important values like we were talking about in the class what are the values
that we all stand for thank you again for being here today and for your support of civics education Early Childhood learning and Career Technical education we look forward to sharing more about the general workings and happenings in the Plymouth Public Schools and continuing to build Pathways
to empower our students in the future and I'm going to turn this over to Natasha Scott good morning everyone it's always fun when we're get we have our lineup and we're like we're ready to go and but H being here today is actually the best
part of our jobs and so I'm Natasha Scott I'm the director of educator engagement for I Civics but I also have the privilege of co-directing the Massachusetts Civic Learning Coalition that's a bunch of words right it's like okay what is that well we're a group of
60 organizations so we have teachers we have universities we have all sorts of Partners really committed to Civic learning and making sure that what's happening here in Plymouth can happen all across the state we want to make sure that all of our schools have access
to amazing civic education that isn't just remembering things from a textbook and spitting it back out but actually having those conversations like you had today being able to turn and talk and debate that's amazing that's what we want everyone to be able to do okay and really have that opportunity to have
Civic learning that has not just memorization that's that's but you you're building the skills the knowledge and those values of what it means to participate in our society okay so that's I get to talk about that every day which is super
exciting and we're so thankful to be able to have this kind of opportunity because this is where we can say look what's happening over here in this school in Plymouth and bring in other school districts having other conversations and then we can have conversations at the state and advocate for civic
learning and for civic education and how much it matters and how much it matters to not just start at the oldest level so you're in fifth grade which is awesome I used to teach third grade so I love elementary school but imagine how many people think you have you can't do Civics until you're in high school but
that's not true you can do Civics all the way down with our youngest Learners so we saw amazing conversations and learning happening with you in fifth grade but imagine that conversation was even starting with the preschoolers and the that we saw earlier and knowing that Civic learning is starting all the way
down there is so exciting because then by the time you get to high school imagine the conversations and debates that you can be having with all of the information that you learn and all of the skills that you've learned so as we think about that we're super excited to play that role to advocate for civic education within the state and we're so
thankful for the Executive Office of Education for Plymouth Public Schools for everyone allowing us to come into the classrooms and have these conversations today and you heard a couple of times Civic learning week it's exciting it might be the first time you're hearing it and that's okay because it's starting to grow did you
know the Civic learning week is now officially a Massachusetts event this year but it's actually a national event so there are schools in other parts of the country that are also doing Civic learning week and celebrating this week they might be having debates like you're having but they might be playing games
they might be diving into primary sources so what you're doing this week and the celebration that you're having is also happening all across the country so pick a state in your head and say hm I wonder what they're doing for civic learning week right and as we continue to grow and see that excitement we'll
have more opportunities to share those stories so we're so excited for that and this is the fifth year of Civic learning week uh and the third year National um and on that we just hope that you continue to celebrate Civic learning week have fun have some great conversations do some amazing learning
and talk with each other and we hope you continue this week and on that note thank you so much everybody and I'm going to turn it over to Kagan shanan hello my name is Kagan shanan and I'm just going to talk about why we need Civics and what it does for us so we need to learn Civics because it teaches
us how the government works and how and why leaders decisions and to help us be informed and to help us make informed decisions because one day we will be making our decisions by voting investigating history helps us learn about how our government works and the decisions leaders made the social
studies lessons are interactive and fun with us being able to work in groups and have fun with what we are learning for example we look at real items from the past one of my favorite activities is when we do the dueling dialogues and act as the British and act as the British and colonists to act out their different
perspectives [Applause] rivalries take it home I'll take it home by saying this um you all were an amazing amazing audience and I think you heard some important
messages around how critical it is that you lean into your rights and your responsibilities how critical it is that you lean into Civic learning week um this is for you it's for your community it's for society thank you all for being
such incredible uh participants today thank you lunchtime y oh there we go there we go thank you thank you
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