NOVEMBER 12, 2009 ISSUE
Parkway Students Honor Veterans
Students in grades pre-K through second grade lined a hallway at Parkway Elementary School last Friday to wave flags and signs and cheer for 59 veterans who attended the annual Bring a Veteran to School Day. Photo by Anna Oakes Students at Parkway Elementary School paid tribute to 59 military veterans who attended the school’s annual Bring a Veteran to School Day on November 6.
The program is the culmination of an educational unit on patriotism and is funded by the school’s Parent-Teacher-Student Association. This year, the program also received a grant from the Watauga Education Foundation.
Students at Parkway invited relatives, community members and friends who are veterans to attend the event. Veterans began arriving to the school around 9:00 a.m. and enjoyed a complimentary breakfast and fellowship in one of the classrooms. The school’s doors and hallways were decorated with handmade flags, photos and thank you cards from the students.
After breakfast, the veterans marched in a parade down a long hallway lined with pre-K through second-grade students, enthusiastically waving small American flags, clapping and shouting, “Thank you!” Many students were dressed in outfits of red, white and blue.
The parade led veterans to the school’s music room, where students sang patriotic songs, led the Pledge of Allegiance and observed a moment of silence for fallen soldiers.
The program also included a slideshow of handwritten cards and the photos of students who made them. At the end of the program, first-graders presented their homemade autograph books to each of the veterans for their signatures.
A few of the veterans also visited the school to speak to students in grades six through eight.
Also in attendance were Watauga County Schools Superintendent Marty Hemric, several school board members and Rep. Cullie Tarleton (D-93), who is also a veteran.
To contribute to next year’s Bring a Veteran to School Day, email parkwayPTSA@gmail.com.
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