The Ohio Statehouse looked a bit youthful Wednesday when a group of fifth-grade students from Stingel Elementary of Ontario Local Schools visited to witness Gov. John Kasich sign House Bill 416, commonly known as the Calamity Days Bill.
Students belonging to Amanda Gurney’s fifth-grade class received a special invitation to the Statehouse from Gov. Kasich after displaying particular interest in the bill.
Gurney recalled, “The students said to me, ‘Mrs. Gurney, what do we do? How do we make sure this bill passes?’”
Gurney said she encouraged her students to research the bill and to write a letter to the governor if they felt strongly enough about it. With their teacher’s encouragement, five students, Halle Ciroli, Avril Copeland, Sarah Kleilein, Kailey McCray, and Kascitee Peters, penned a letter to the governor in support of additional calamity days.
“I am so proud of them. They did all of the work themselves. All I did was put the letters in the mail,” Gurney commented.
McCray said she was inspired to write a letter because, “I thought it would be really nice to have more snow days, since I’m from Texas so I’m not really used to this weather.”
Gurney explained that about a month after the letters were sent, her class received a letter from the governor’s office thanking them for their concern over the bill.
“The students and I were thrilled to just receive the letter. We never could have imagined it would turn into an invitation to the bill signing. The five students who wrote the letters felt special and proud that their letters were heard. My class as a whole was very proud of the students who wrote the letters,” Gurney stated.
Ontario Superintendent Lisa Carmichael and Stingel Principal Mike Ream joined Gurney and her class on the trip, during which the students—each equipped with his or her own notepad and pen for note-taking—learned about the history of the Statehouse and political leaders. They visited the Cabinet Room and later filed into the governor’s office to watch as Gov. Kasich signed the Calamity Days Bill. They were joined by a group of students from Upper Arlington, as well as politicians and media outlets.
Carmichael noted, “This was a once in a lifetime historical event for our students. It’s something that they will remember forever.”
One part of the trip that really stuck out for student Gregory Tan was when Gov. Kasich signed each letter of his name with a different pen “because then the pens would become part of history,” the governor explained. The students were then given a pen after the signing.
“I’m going to save my pen,” Tan said with a smile.
Through the passage of the Calamity Days Bill, Ohio schools are granted four additional calamity days during the current school year. In January, the governor asked that the legislature provide more calamity days, and by March 12, the proposed bill received both House and Senate approval.
For Ontario Schools, the bill’s passage means that the school will have only one make-up day at the end of the school year. Ontario Schools had 10 school closings this year and implemented three days of “blizzard bags.”
Speaking about the students’ trip, Principal Ream said, “This was a great chance for them to see the impact of a simple letter.” He also commended Gurney for her teaching and the way she empowered the students.
Gurney said, “I hope that my students have learned how important it is to actively have a voice in their community, and to not be afraid to stand up for what they believe in.”
Gurney said, “I hope that my students have learned how important it is to actively have a voice in their community, and to not be afraid to stand up for what they believe in.”
