SES students get visit from Ross, Washington

Betsy Ross and Martha Washington made a visit to Straughn Elementary School on Friday.

The 18th and 19th century women made their rounds to many of the SES classrooms telling their stories.

Students learned Ross was born in 1752 in Philadelphia and that she attended school where she learning reading, writing, arithmetic and how to sew, a skill that would one day make her famous.

In the summer of 1776, Ross received a visit from Gen. George Washington asking her to make the flag for the new nation.

Students and Ross discussed the difference between the original flag and the current American flag.

They learned that the original flag had only 13 stars, which represented the 13 Colonies and the present-day flag has 50 stars for the 50 states.

The students were celebrating Constitution Day and throughout the school, students were making patriotic crafts.

Law requires that schools who receive federal funding hold an educational program relevant to the Constitution each year on Sept. 17. If the date falls on a weekend or on a holiday, schools must schedule a program immediately before or after that date.

SES counselor Mandi Morris played Betsy Ross and speech pathologist Misty Barnes played Martha Washington.