Susan B. Anthony Middle School Holds Civic Action Day

There are 183 students in the eighth grade at the Susan B. Anthony Middle School and each one receives a comprehensive education in civics from September to June.

Eighth grade teachers Alexa Bennett and Alex Butler teach civics classes to students throughout the academic year. On June 1, their students were able to showcase their knowledge and ingenuity at the second annual Civic Action Day at the school.

Supt. of Schools Dr. Dianne Kelly, State Rep. Jessica Giannino, Acting Mayor Patrick Keefe, Councillors-at-Large Gerry Visconti and Steven Morabito, and School Committee Vice Chair Stacey Bronsdon-Rizzo were among the city leaders who attended the event.

Bennett explained the new format for the program that featured student presentations of their year-long civic action projects.

“Every year students have to identify an issue with their community that matters to them and work throughout the year to try and solve that problem,” said Bennett.

“This year, students picked issues such as housing for migrants and refugees, lowering the voting age, and pushing back school start time. And on Civic Action Day, they present all the work they’ve done throughout the year to try to make that change happen.”

Bennett is in her third year of teaching at the SBA. Butler is in her fifth year of teaching at the SBA.

“I took civics in middle school at the Rumney Marsh Academy,” said Bennett, a 2016 graduate of Revere High School who majored in History at prestigious New York University. “As a teacher now, it feels good to be able to give back to the community that raised me.”

The daughter of Brian Bennett and Elizabeth Bennett, Alexa said she was inspired by her former Revere English Language Arts (ELA) teacher, Lucy Perkey, to pursue a career in education.

And now Ms. Bennett and Ms. Butler are inspiring their students to excel in civics and participate in community service.

“Today is a really important event, and it really something that matters to us when the community shows up,” said Bennett. “We’re really grateful for all the community support that we’ve gotten from parents, the school, and the city.”