Elementary students in Hicksville Public Schools seven neighborhood elementary schools recently learned firsthand about the democratic process, from designing PR campaign strategies to the voting process, as they selected their choice for the Official New York State Butterfly. Each state in the union has the right for its constituents to designate their choice for the state's official flower, bird, tree, butterfly and even soft drink, if they so desire, through their elected officials. Although New York State has an official flower (Rose), an official bird (Blue Bird) and an official tree (Sugar Maple), it has not had an official state butterfly, that is, until now.

Through the ongoing efforts of New York State Assemblyman Rob Walker, a graduate of Hicksville High School and former student at Dutch Lane Elementary who recently visited each of the elementary schools to talk about the democratic process and the butterfly vote, current third through fifth grade students in the state of New York, including the students of Hicksville Public Schools, now have the opportunity to select their candidate for the official state butterfly. What's more, the total vote number for the winning butterfly from the children of each of the district's elementary schools will officially enter the building's name and vote total on the public record in Albany.

Each elementary building utilized the butterfly vote to teach its K - 5 students about democracy, voting, how campaigning is an important part of the election process, and, most importantly, that every vote counts. Pre-Kindergarten students at Dutch Lane even participated in their own vote, creating two large butterflies onto which they pasted their votes.

Not only did the butterfly project allow district K - 5 students to put their creativity to work during their campaigning, which involved research and presentation of their findings before assemblies held at each of the buildings, but they also had the opportunity to see the democratic process in action and, for third, fourth, and fifth graders, to be a part of a New York State election.

The nominees for NYS state butterfly which Hicksville elementary students campaigned and voted for included the Monarch, Black Swallowtail, Karner Blue, Mourning Cloak, Red Spotted Purple or White Admiral, and Milbert's Tortoiseshell.

Watch future news from the district to discover the final outcome of the butterfly vote by the children of Hicksville and all areas of New York State.