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 The event began at 10:30 a.m. with an all-school
assembly in front of special guests including parents, grandparents,
other friends and relatives, and any veteran who wished to attend.
In the guest seats there were many veterans who for the most part,
were people who had a child or grandchild in enrolled at Zion
Lutheran School.
Preschool and prekindergarten teacher Sara Sielaff served as the
emcee for the program. She began the day by welcoming all the guests
to the special assembly.
Pastor Mark Thompson who is himself a veteran was
invited to deliver the opening prayer.
The first performance of the day was the Star Spangled Banner, with
guests invited to stand and face the American flag while the grade
school band performed.
Students from Mrs. Sielaff’s Pre-K assembled in front of the stage
in the school gymnasium and performed “Heroes.”
Up next was a Patriotic cheer by the Kindergarten, first and second
grade students.
The third and fourth grade students performed God Bless Our Native
Land with ukuleles in hand as their accompaniment.
The fifth through eighth grade choir performed a very nice song
called Everyday Heroes.
After the song, the fifth and sixth grade students remained at the
food of the stage for the recitation of a Veteran Acrostic Poem.
The students then returned to their location at the back of the room
while the seventh and eighth grade students came forward with
another Veterans’ Day poem.
The school band returned to the stage for the performance of Amazing
Grace.
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Mrs. Sielaff returned to the front of the room and asked that the
veterans in the room who served in particular branches from Army to
Navy, Coast Guard, Marines, Air Force, and Space stand as their
branch was called. Within each group there were those who stood for
a moment of applause from the rest of the guests.
She then invited any veteran who wished to come forward and share a
few words to please do so.
The invitation was accepted by Don Hellman. He offered up his rank
and the time he served than told the audience that he had served
with Buzz Aldrin and Ralph White. Both men went on in their service
career to become astronauts in the U.S. Space program.
Aldrin, with mission commander Neil Armstrong was one of the first
two astronauts to walk on the face of the moon.
Ralph White was one of the lost souls when his rocket exploded on
the landing pad as it was preparing to launch.
Hellman noted they were fine men, and fine astronauts.
After the floor was closed to speakers, Pastor Thomas was called
upon to offer up a closing prayer.
As the assembly came to an end, all the veterans were
asked to gather at the far end of the gymnasium and be joined by
their student relatives for a group photo.
Before the special day students had been busy creating art works to
line the hallway at the school and be posted in various places
inside the gymnasium.
One such display was soldiers in their fatigues. They
were wearing their camo which had been painted on by the students.
Another display was a two coloring pages that were filled with
interesting facts and questions about military service, veterans and
Veteran’s Day.
Another impressing work was a three-dimensional poster that changed
as one walked past it. Exiting the gymnasium for the front door, one
first recognized there was an American Flag.
Standing directly in front of the poster one could see the message
written on dog tags that simply said, “Thank you Veterans.”
Passing the poster and looking back on it was an outline of a
soldier in salute. His body colored in colors and shapes of the
American flag, standing in front of a green background.
For the veterans and the students, it was a very good day with an
excellent program honoring our local heroes.
[Nila Smith] |
