At Frenship, there are dozens of staff members who have served in the armed forces, along with many students and staff who have family members who have served. As a district, we are grateful for their sacrifice and service.
Across the district, each school celebrated and honored veterans to recognize the service they provided to our country. Megan Boone, Music Teacher at Willow Bend Elementary, says it's more than just a celebration, it's an educational moment for her students.
“I think it is important for our students to understand how blessed we are to live in America,” said Boone. “The freedoms and opportunities we have were not earned freely.”
The fourth-grade students at Willow Bend performed in a special Veterans Day Music Program for their parents and 15 veterans. During the performance, the honored guests were invited to stand as the students sang their respective branch’s fight song.
In preparation for the program, Boone designed her lesson plans to incorporate books, poems, and videos to help explain who veterans are and why they should be honored.
“Our program is our way of saying thank you to the brave men and women who have bravely sacrificed their lives for the freedoms and liberties that we so often take for granted,” said Boone.
At Oak Ridge Elementary, fourth graders also held a similar music program to honor the veterans in their community. Elizabeth Stone, the Music Teacher at Oak Ridge, emphasized the importance of honoring veterans, noting they are vital members of the community.
“When discussing what a veteran is with our fourth-grade students, many discovered they had a family member who was a veteran, and all of our students knew a veteran,” said Stone.
All the students at Oak Ridge were given the opportunity to submit the name of a veteran in their family for the “Honor Wall” created by the ESL teacher. This provided an additional opportunity to discuss the freedoms these brave individuals fought for and the ways to honor them with all students.
Kelly Eleuterius, Principal at Bennett Elementary, organized a committee to plan how best to honor the veterans in their community. They decided on creating a series of displays in the school’s front hallway. Eleuterius sent a flyer home with each student, inviting families to fill it out and include a picture of the veteran they wished to honor. These photos and stories were then displayed in the hall for everyone to see.
“The wall of honor allowed us to make connections with our Bennett families in a meaningful way, especially our parents who are veterans,” said Eleuterius.
In addition to the family displays, upper-grade students at Bennett designed Veterans Day posters with the help of the technology teacher, which were printed and added to the hallway. Other classes created thank-you notes, while Media Specialist Dana Cooley set up a table featuring books about Veterans Day.
A common feature seen throughout Veterans Day celebrations is America’s White Table, a memorial consisting of a small table set with simple items that symbolize missing or lost soldiers. This tradition is inspired by the book America’s White Table.
At Terra Vista Middle School, Media Specialist Staci Sisk, decided to read this book to the sixth and seventh graders during library time. She randomly passed out items that go on the white table and as she read the story, the students "set the table". Each item has a specific meaning that is explained throughout the book.
- Small table- one soldier's lonely battle against many
- White tablecloth- a soldier's pure heart when he answers his country's call to duty
- Lemon slice- a captive soldier's bitter fate
- Grains of salt- tears of families waiting for loved ones to return
- Empty chair- for the missing soldiers who are not here
- Black napkin - the sorrow of captivity
- Overturned glass- for the meal that won't be eaten
- White candle- peace
- Red rose in a vase tied with red (or yellow) ribbon- for the hope that all our missing will return someday.
Sisk stated she wanted to share this story with the students to spread a sense of patriotism and gratitude for those who have served.
“Like most people, I have family members and friends who served in various wars,” said Sisk. “While I always hold deep respect for their service, during certain moments— whether hearing a particular song, attending school programs honoring veterans, or reading books with war themes— I always get a deeper feeling of respect for veterans and pride of being an American. I really just wanted to share that with the students.”
Through these heartfelt programs and displays, Frenship ISD students not only learned about the significance of Veterans Day but also had the opportunity to express their appreciation for those who have served.