Central Elementary hosts special program in honor of veterans
Published 9:27 am Friday, November 29, 2019
Contributed Photo Veterans from King's Mountain Post #24 with Dr. Taylor: Left to Right: Senior Master Sergeant Allan Dale Jackson, Command Sergeant Ray Dartez, CW3 Allen Castle, Dr. Dawn Taylor, Command Chief Warrant Officer Bryan Lauzon.
Contributed Photo Mail Call Letters for Veterans.
Contributed Photo Students honoring the veterans with song "Proud to be an American."
Contributed Photo Honorable Veterans and Student Body at Central.
Contributed Photo Command Chief Warrant Officer Bryan Lauzon sharing information about the Constitution of the United States.
Contributed Photo Senior Master Sergeant Allan Dale Jackson sharing information about Sergeant Stubby.
CONTRIBUTED — On November 15, Central Elementary students, faculty, and staff members honored veterans with a special Veterans Day event. The entire gym was filled with the school population as well as visiting veterans and family members. Command Chief Warrant Officer Bryan Lauzon, Senior Master Sergeant Allan Dale Jackson, Command Sergeant Ray Dartez, and CW3 Allen Castle from King’s Mountain Post #24, American Legion presented the solemn POW/Missing Man Table ceremony and then informed the students about animals that served in the war with a focus on Sergeant Stubby, a canine recognized as the most decorated dog in WWI that received accolades for facing danger and saving lives during the war. Gifts of a book, film, and a purple poppy all representing Sergeant Stubby and military service animals were presented by Senior Master Sergeant Allan Jackson.
Following the presentation by the American Legion soldiers, the entire student body surprised the veterans by honoring them in song with “God Bless America.” Afterwards, a group of 7th and 8th grade students honored the veterans by singing, “Proud to Be an American” and by distributing flags and signed cards to all veterans in attendance. The final event that took place was a mail call presentation in which 8th grade students, Juley Nieminski and Makaela Green, brought out mailbags full of hundreds of letters written by the students and faculty members of Central. These were awarded to the men of King’s Mountain Post #24 to distribute to other veterans.
Dr. Dawn Taylor, coordinator of the event said, “This was simply one of the best days ever at Central. The students were so respectful of the veterans and interested in learning about and from the soldiers. All the boys and girls had really worked hard for about three weeks to be fully prepared to sing. It was wonderful to witness the students honoring the veterans in the way they did. The entire event was a treasure to hold in our hearts.”
Prior to the Veterans Day program, Dr. Taylor’s 7th and 8th graders had prepared letters and posters for veterans who had been selected for the Honor Flight program and had written essays for the Patriot’s Pen contest sponsored by the VFW. The students had also made Veterans Day posters to decorate the halls of the school after reading and studying about “In Flanders Fields” by John McCrae.
