Politics & Government
Delegate, Mayor Make Appearences At Mayfield Career Day
Students question firefighters, doctors and political leaders about their career paths.
“I’m not supposed to lie,” 10-year-old Deanna said as she was being connected to a fingertip sweat sensor by Raymond Beckwith, a supervisory special agent and polygraph examiner for the U.S. Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS.)
Beckwith asked Deanna to make an exception for him as part of Career Day at Mayfield Intermediate School on Oct. 23 where he demonstrated the polygraph machine. Twenty-four fifth and sixth graders watched the detector’s bright green line spike on the graph as Deanna purposefully answered questions incorrectly.
In a neighboring classroom Manassas City School Board member and engineer Ellen Purdy stunned students with pictures of printed cars and driverless automobiles built by engineers in the U.S.Department of Defense.
Find out what's happening in Manassaswith free, real-time updates from Patch.
In the commons area, students peppered Fairfax County fireman Joe Murray with questions like, “What’s the biggest fire you’ve ever worked?” Across the hall, Manassas Mayor Harry J. Parrish, II described how the city budget works and the importance of schools because, as he said, “the children are our future.”
Twenty-eight professionals in careers such as cosmetology, film, canine search and rescue training and pediatrics traveled the building, escorted by members of the Future Leaders of America Club.
Find out what's happening in Manassaswith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Mayfield teachers Rodney Jordan and Jennifer Santiago created a master schedule allowing all students to choose the presentations that piqued their interests.
At the culminating event, Manassas Del. Jackson Miller hosted a debate about a mock bill in support of year-round school. Sixth-grade student Maggie Riley argued, “If we have school year round, our brains will never have a rest. But if we do get a rest in the summer, our brains will come back and be ready to learn!”
“We are certainly grateful to our local officials and professionals for opening windows into their worlds for Mayfield students,” Mayfield Principal Jeff S. Abt said.
Mayfield Intermediate School is apart of Manassas City Public Schools. It educates about 1,000 fifth and sixth grade students.
