It’s one thing for adults to watch in adoration the apparent ease with which young kids can get up at a public meeting and give a well-written and well-presented program about responsibility.

But it’s quite another thing when that same group of kids turns the tables, and asks the adults in the room to explain what responsibility means to them.

A group of Brummit Elementary School third grade students in Carolyn Harden’s class did just that at Monday’s Duneland School Board meeting. After giving an often-comical presentation called “Responsiblity Rocks,” the kids put the administrators and school board members on the hot seat by turning over the microphone and asking each one to explain their own responsibilities.

The impromptu responses ran the gamut.

Duneland Assistant Superintendent Monte Moffett said his responsibility is to make sure that teachers have all they need to teach students. Board member Janice Custer said her responsibility includes going to meetings and getting input from other school boards about how they conduct themselves.

School Board President Nick Jurasevich, who commended the kids for a quality presentation, said his job is to make sure that all Duneland students are just as responsible. Duneland Superintendent Dirk Baer said his job is to make sure that other people in the schools are doing their jobs.

Board member Ron Stone said his job is to make sure that kids have the tools they need to be the best Dunelanders possible, while John Marshall said his responsibility is to represent the voters who put him into office. Assistant Superintendent Dave Pruis said his job is to attempt to get all the financial resources necessary for the schools, while Business Manager Bonnie Gaston said her job is to help Pruis accomplish that goal.

The students giving the presentation -- Jarrett Johnston, Rachael Pilarski, Zane Moore, Jacob Johnston, Anjali Dziarski, and Mallory Bushue -- took turns explaining responsibility by breaking down the word into letters. The “n,” for example, stood for “no talking,” a responsibility that Brummitt kids need to adhere to or else they’ll end up in the principal’s office. The “b” stood for the need to bring back homework, and the “o” stood for order forms used in a school fundraiser and the students need to return to school.

Prinicipal Antonino Cammarata said the students’ presentation was part of the school’s efforts to promote character education, which has been identified as a need at Brummitt. The process began in August when staff members where surveyed on what they felt the schools should be teaching to build character.

Cammarata said although his daily messages include encouragement for students to be responsible, the students at Monday’s school board meeting wrote their presentation entirely by themselves. “I had nothing to do with it,” he said.