Dugan Elementary Champions students show patriotic side during mayor visit

Last month, the Champions program in Marlboro, N.J. rolled out the red, white, and blue carpet for Mayor Jonothan Hornik and his visit to J. Dugan Elementary School. The Champions children pulled out all the stops, creating patriotic friendship bracelets and stage décor for their esteemed Mayor.

The mayor’s visit is part of Site Director and Knowledge Universe Early Childhood Education Award winner Anne Leonardi’s parent speaker events. While discussing themes of citizenship and friendship, Leonardi thought inviting Hornik to the site would be a great idea.

“The kids were very excited, and [the mayor] was glad to share his thoughts with them and discuss town and local politics,” said Area Manager Thea Pace. “He is a celebrity in town, and the kids thought it was very cool that he took the time to meet with them.”

Mayor Hornik went into detail about all of the roles and responsilbities a mayor has, and shared all of the things he loves about the town of Marlboro. The students prepared note cards for a lengthy and informative Q&A session.

“I asked the Mayor how he felt his rating would be if he debated with Donald Trump,” said Nick, a fifth grade Champions student. “I was happy the mayor was here and I wanted to know more about him and his political goals.”

Once all questions were answered, the students closed by singing “You’re a Grand Old Flag,” before snapping photos with Hornik.

“He spoke to us about his education, experience, and goals for our town,” said Emily, a fifth grader. “He wants Marlboro to be the best town, and I learned that anyone can work to be a good citizen if they try their best!”