April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
ST. MADELEINE SOPHIE, SCHENECTADY
Pre-K kids learn voting by naming teacher's baby
Pre-K kids learn voting by naming teacher's baby
The pre-kindergarten teacher is indeed pregnant, though it isn't with the Son of God. And, while the baby boy won't be named Jesus, the children are getting a say in what Mrs. Gaugler names him.
To help lighten the mood after this year's tense political climate, and to introduce her students to the electoral process, the teacher decided to let the class vote on what her firstborn son's name would be.
Mrs. Gaugler explained that, before the U.S. presidential election in November, her students would come in talking about who their parents would be voting for, but the children didn't understand what "voting" meant.
In past years, the teacher explained the concept by having students choose which flavor of Skittles candy was the best or what their favorite kind of M&Ms were. But, since the beginning of this school year, the youngsters have been interested in the teacher's growing belly.
Mrs. Gaugler noted that she tells the class to be gentle when they hug her.
"They always ask why my belly is getting big," she remarked. Her due date is in early February.
So, instead of choosing who should be the next leader of the United States, the students and their families voted on a choice between the names "Grayson," "Brayden," "Carson" and "Mason."
The children each cast a vote by putting their own name on a paper pacifier and sticking it next to the baby name of their choosing on a large chart.
Zoey Tannuzzo, one of Mrs. Gaugler's students, picked the name "Brayden." She said that it made her feel important to be able to help in such a major decision.
Kaitlin Shannon, another student, said she originally picked the name "Grayson," but has since changed her mind: "I want 'Pizza,'" she told The Evangelist, "because I love pizza."
The students were able to write in names, just as they could in a real election. Some of the write-in candidates included "William," "Tony," "Baby Panda" and "Scooby-Doo."
"My in-laws still call him 'Scooby-Doo,' because they thought it was the cutest thing," Mrs. Gaugler said.
Her husband, Brian, thought the whole project was funny. Mrs. Gaugler said he enjoyed the write-in names the most, but was surprised that more of the small students or their families didn't suggest something silly.
After all was said and done, the name "Grayson" won with 18 votes. "Brayden" came in second, with 15; "Mason," with 14, and "Carson," with 10, followed.
"A couple of parents asked for a recount when their choice didn't win," Mrs. Gaugler said, though she was happy with the outcome: "Grayson" was her first choice.
Still, the Gauglers want to wait to make a final decision until they meet their son. It will be a big moment: The couple had trouble conceiving, though the pregnancy has been going smoothly so far.
Mrs. Gaugler said her coworkers and the students have been helpful, too: "If I can't bend down to get something, the kids always help out."
One thing is sure: the baby's middle name. Mr. and Mrs. Gaugler have already chosen "Curtis," a family name.[[In-content Ad]]
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