On Thursday, November 11, the Middle School staff and students thanked local active service members and veterans with a Veterans Day Celebration. We welcomed our visitors with morning donuts and coffee. We’d like to thank The Rooted Bean for donating coffee to serve as well as gifting each of the visitors with a bag of their “Hero” blend. After coffee, the local American Legion Post 454 presented the colors at a flag raising ceremony. Traditional taps were performed by student Nic Fuller.

Following the flag raising ceremony, the students and staff welcomed approximately 35 local veterans and service members into our classrooms to learn about their experiences while serving. In small groups, these men and women shared their personal stories with our students. The students were well engaged, attentively listening and asking relevant questions following each presentation. 

The morning activities concluded with an assembly to honor those who attended the day’s events.  Threads of Love, a quilting group from Faith Lutheran Church,  presented two Quilts of Valor.  Members Karla Kearney and Janet Volz shared the mission of their group before presenting veterans Jack Chapman and Phil Andeberg with a beautifully crafted quilt. Thank you to this organization for their continued donation of time, talent, and quilts.

During our afternoon activities, students wrote thank you notes to veterans, listened to a speaker from the Puppy Jake Foundation, and heard from two local veterans, Mike and Jackie Giles, about the importance of receiving mail as active service members and veterans. 

We greatly appreciate not only their service, but also the time our area veterans took to spend with our students, teaching them about their service and demonstrating why troops should be honored on this day. Thank you!