Moon Students to View President Obama's Back-to-School Speech

Students in the will view President Barack Obama's back-to-school speech after its initial telecast.

The President is slated to deliver his third-annual back-to-school speech at 1:30 p.m. today from the Benjamin Banneker Academic High School in Washington D.C.

The speech will appear live on MSNBC and be streamed from WhiteHouse.gov.

District spokewoman Megan Edwards said students in the district will not watch the speech live: She said administrators will first view the speech before it airs in Moon classrooms.

Edwards said parents who do not wish for their student to view the speech can send a written note to teachers and an alternate activity will be provided. The district has sent Email alerts to parents and provided information regarding the speech on its website.

School districts across the country in past years have required parental permission to view the President's speech or outright banned the telecast. The annual back-to-school speech was first delivered by President George H.W. Bush in 1991.

Earlier this week, the North Hills School Board narrowly a district-wide viewing of the speech. Last year, North Hills teachers were able to air President Obama's message to students at their own discretion.

The Moon Area School District has aired the President's speech each year.

In past years, President Obama has encouraged students in his back-to-school speech to work hard, set goals and believe in themselves.

• Moon high school students will watch a re-broadcast of the speech Thursday morning in the high school auditorium.

• Middle school students will watch the speech Thursday during social studies classes.

• Elementary school students will view the speech Thursday afternoon.