Constitution Week is Sept. 17-23, with Sept.17 being Constitution Day. In 2004, Congress passed Public Law 108-447, which requires every school that receives federal funds to provide an educational program about the United States Constitution.

Last year, for Constitution week, an anonymous Mountain Area resident provided free educational Constitution packets and pocket Constitutions and delivered them to all Mountain Areas Schools.

This year, another generous donor has ordered the packets and pocket Constitutions to be distributed to every school district in Eastern Madera County.

The packets are from the National Institute for Constitutional Studies (www.nccs.net) and contain each of the following:

The DVD called 'A More Perfect Union,' a teacher's guide that provides background information to help teachers with classroom discussions and other learning activities; a pocket Constitution which includes the US Constitution, the Bill of Rights, Amendments 11-27 and the Declaration of Independence; And a 22 X 34 Constitution poster.

You can purchase your own copy of 'A More Perfect Union' and become an eyewitness to the Constitutional Convention of 1787 (see how below).

The two-hour film is great for family viewing to celebrate Constitution month and brings the Founding Fathers to life as you witness the struggles and the miracles that produced the Constitution of the United States and the freest nation on earth.

Filmed on location at Independence Hall, Williamsburg, Virginia and other historical sites, the film dramatically chronicles how America became a nation.

This DVD will be available for purchase at the 'Constitution Booth' at Mountain Heritage Days Saturday at Fresno Flats.

'Concerned Citizens for Heritage' will be hosting the booth and a 'Constitution float' with the theme of 'Saving The Past for the Future' will be in the Mountain Heritage Days parade.

Children interested in participating with the float, or those interested in reserving 'A More Perfect Union' DVD can contact Kim Shea at (559) 760-5590. Children in the float, will be learning the Preamble to the Constitution put to music and dressing up in period costumes, led by Glacier High School Student and Golden Chain actress, Jessalyn Talley, 14.