FWCS celebrates Veterans Day

News release from the Fort Wayne Community Schools:

FWCS Celebrates Veterans Day

(November 10, 2014) – Fort Wayne Community Schools will honor and celebrate Veterans Day with activities and events at every school in the District. Most schools will celebrate on Tuesday, Nov. 11, but because of scheduling conflicts, some will celebrate on other days. Schools will honor veterans in their families, perform patriotic music and participate in assemblies with local veterans groups.

Weeklong Events:

• Snider High School, 4600 Fairlawn Pass, has a Veterans Day tribute on display in the showcase in the cafeteria. Any Snider staff members or student family members who have served or are currently serving in the Armed Forces was invited to be a part of the tribute.
• Miami Middle School, 8100 Amherst Drive, created a display case honoring veterans who work at Miami. Six staff members brought uniforms, boot camp portraits and other memorabilia for their time of service.
• At St. Joseph Central Elementary, 6341 St. Joe Center Road, student will hear through the week a brief history of how Veterans Day started and facts about each branch of the military. On Veterans Day, students will receive a small American Flag to share with a veteran.
• Beginning Monday at Lincoln Elementary, 1001 E. Cook Road, teachers will discuss who Veterans are and why a day is set aside to honor them. Each class will write a letter or create a card to send to members of the 122nd Fighter Wing. The school will also collect items to send in care packages to members of the 122nd. During lunch each day, veterans will share their experiences and give students and opportunity to ask questions. On Tuesday, students and staff are invited to wear red, white and blue.
• In honor of Veterans Day, the staff and students at Blackhawk Middle School, 7200 E. State Blvd., will recognize family members of Blackhawk students who have served in the past, or are currently serving, in any military branch of the United States. The names, service branch, rank and war or conflict (if applicable) will be read during morning announcements throughout the month of November.

 

Monday, Nov. 10

• At Fairfield Elementary, 2825 Fairfield Ave., veterans from several branches of the military will visit at 9:30 a.m. to talk to students about the various roles of those serving. The program will also include student performances and presentations.
• Arlington Elementary, 8118 St Joe Center Road, will continue its tradition of honoring local veterans and remembering Arlington family members who have served the country during the annual Veterans Day Program at 9:30 a.m. in the gym. All veterans are invited to be our guests. An active duty military guest will serve as guest speaker. Students will sing patriotic songs learned in music class and express their gratitude through essays, song and video. The touching moment of the program is a slideshow of Arlington students and their family members who have served our country throughout history.

 

Tuesday, Nov. 11

• Kekionga Middle School, 2929 Engle Road, will have a Veterans Day Recognition breakfast at 7:30 a.m. In addition, students will write letters in their language arts classes to those serving the country. A couple students will read their letters at the Veterans Day breakfast.
• Jefferson Middle School, 5303 Wheelock Road, will have a public flag-raising ceremony at 7:45 a.m. Veterans, active military and first responders were invited to participate. The school band will play patriotic tunes, culminating with the National Anthem as the student body, staff and guests circle the flag. The Boy Scouts and Civil Air Patrol will raise the flag. During the instructional day, social studies teachers plan lessons around Veterans Day themes.
• In language arts classes at Lakeside Middle School, 2100 Lake Ave., students will write letters to veterans at the neighboring VA hospital. There will also be special announcements and a homeroom activity that supports Veterans Day.
• At Memorial Park Middle School, 2200 Maumee Ave., students will have the opportunity to watch short videos on Veterans Day and why it is celebrated. Students will also make thank you cards and write letters and poems for veterans.
• At Bloomingdale Elementary, 1300 Orchard St., students will read stories about the different branches of the Armed Forces; discuss and write about the roles of the Armed Forces, including why they are important and how they fight for our freedom; and create a Veterans Wall of family members who have served in the Armed Forces and including interviews with family members about their life in the military.
• At 9 a.m. at New Tech Academy, 9100 Winchester Road, veterans will hold workshops for small groups of students on serving the country. Students will be able to ask questions and afterwards will write letters of appreciation to veterans.
• Study Elementary, 2414 Brooklyn Ave., fourth-graders will have a Flag Folding Ceremony at 9:05 a.m. At 10:30 a.m., the entire school will honor veterans with patriotic songs performed by students and patriotic pieces of artwork created by students. All current and former servicemen and servicewomen are welcome to join the celebration.
• Indian Village Elementary, 3835 Wenonah Lane, will have its Veterans Day program at 9:15 a.m. The program will include a Color Guard, performances by second- and third-grade students, a White Table, and a keynote address by Sgt. Major Rick Weber of the Indiana Army National Guard.
• Franke Park Elementary, 828 Mildred Ave., is raising money to purchase gift cards for veterans who travel to and from the VA hospital in Fort Wayne. Students will receive an eagle to write their name and post in hallways. The class who raises the most money earns a pizza party. Staff members are also permitted to wear jeans all week if they donate $5.
• Weisser Park Elementary, 902 Colerick St., will have an all-school assembly at 9:30 a.m. to honor veterans. Veteran guests will then visit classrooms to speak with students. In addition, teachers may wear jeans for $5, and students may wear red, white and blue for 25 cents. All contributions will go to Honor Flight.
• Maplewood Elementary, 2200 Maplewood Road, will have an assembly at 9:30 a.m. to honor our veterans. The focus of the assembly will be to identify what a veteran is and note the impact of veterans on our lives. Maplewood will also display a Wall of Honor throughout the month to continue honoring veterans.
• Waynedale Elementary, 7201 Elzey St., will pay tribute to men and women who have served in defense of the country at an assembly at 9:30 a.m. Veteran family members of students will be in attendance and will be presented a pin of thanks. JROTC from Wayne High School will present the Colors followed by the fifth-graders singing the National Anthem and the fourth-graders reciting The Pledge of Allegiance. The students will be shown a video honoring veterans, and the school will display a “Wall of Honor” of family members who have served or are currently serving.
• At 10 a.m. at Washington Center Elementary, 1936 W. Wallen Road, special education teacher Liz Yager will share her experience serving in the Army with students and staff. She will have different uniforms for the students to try on and will answer student questions too.
• Fifth-graders at Holland Elementary, 7000 Red Haw Drive, will lead a program at 10 a.m. Special guests from the Korean War Veterans speaking. The program will also include a flag-folding demonstration and explanation.
• At Northwood Middle School, 1201 E. Washington Center Road, there will be a flag ceremony, and students will have the opportunity to watch videos about Veterans Day and write an essay about the holiday.
• Shambaugh Elementary, 5320 Rebecca Drive, will honor veterans during a whole school assembly 10 a.m. The Color Guard will be present, along with other veteran guests of honor. A teacher veteran will read the book “America’s White Table” to students, and veterans will visit classrooms to speak with students. Students are encouraged to bring in pictures of family members who have served or are currently serving to help create a Wall of Honor display in the front lobby.
• Adams Elementary, 3000 New Haven Ave., will have a celebration for veterans at 10:30 a.m. Students will sing, and punch and cookies will be served.
• Scott Academy, 950 E. Fairfax Ave., will have an assembly at 10:30 a.m. The program will include student performances and a short slideshow highlighting veterans who are family members of Scott students.
• At Shawnee Middle School, 1000 E. Cook Road, students will recite the Pledge of Allegiance, read about the history of Veterans Day, play “Taps” and participate in a moment of silence to reflect on why we celebrate the day.
• Haley Elementary, 2201 Maplecrest Road, will celebrate Veterans Day at 12:30 p.m. by inviting Veterans to a reception and program. Andre Beasley, a retired guard of the Tomb of the Unknown Solider, will be among those in attendance. Haley students will read essays they wrote about American Heroes and sing songs for the visitors.
• The choir at Harris Elementary, 4501 Thorngate Drive, will sing patriotic songs at 2:30 p.m. In addition, a guest speaker from the military will talk about the sacrifices made by men and women who serve.
• Northcrest Elementary, 5301 Archwood Lane, will have an all-school assembly at 2:30 p.m. honoring guest veterans. The assembly will include patriotic musical selections performed by fourth-graders, poetry and an all-school singing of the National Anthem.
• Bunche Montessori Early Childhood Center and Towles Intermediate School will have a combined program at 1p.m. at Towles, 420 E. Paulding Road. Family members of students who have served in the military were invited to attend the event, which will include presentation of the Colors and a Flag-Folding Ceremony; singing patriotic songs and a poem reading. Military members will be recognized and their names will be displayed during the program thanking them for their service. Veterans were also invited to join their student for lunch prior to the program.
• Veteran Al LeFevre will visit Croninger Elementary, 6700 Trier Road, at 1:30 p.m. for a celebration in a fifth-grade classroom. Last year’s fifth-graders wrote letters to all Honor Flight recipients. Mr. LeFevre wrote back thanking them and came to visit, sparking a friendship with the class that continues. Over the summer, he donated $300 to the classroom, which was used to buy new books. This year’s fifth-graders will now have the opportunity to meet him and thank him for the books. At 2:45 p.m., the entire school will sing the National Anthem.
• Forest Park Elementary, 2004 Alabama Ave., will celebrate Veterans Day with an all-school assembly at 2 p.m. Students will be led in patriotic songs and listen to a brief history of Veterans Day. The color guard from Wayne High School will also be performing.
• At Portage Middle School, 3521 Taylor St., students will learn about and celebrate Veterans Day through classroom-based activities.
• At 1:40 p.m., North Side High School, 475 E. State Blvd., will create an aerial tribute for veterans using the student body (1,500 students) and an aerial drone. North Side will also be rededicating a WWII Memorial created in 1946 by the principal at that time. Students have conducted genealogical research of the WWII veterans killed in action and have invited their families to the ceremony. Also, the U.S. Marine Corps will conduct a flag raising ceremony for the West Flag Pole that is currently not in use.
• Glenwood Park Elementary, 4501 Vance Ave., is inviting all veterans connected to the school to a celebration at 2 p.m. The program will include patriotic songs, such as “I Love My Country,” “God Bless America,” and “There are Many Flags in Many Lands.”
• South Wayne Elementary, 810 Cottage Ave., will have an all-school musical program at 2:30 p.m. honoring veterans, including a PTA cookie and punch reception for special guests and special visitors.

 

Wednesday, Nov. 12

• Lane Middle School, 4901 Vance Ave., will have its annual Veterans Day Recognition Ceremony at 9 a.m. Students have already studied the history of the day and its importance. Veterans Day art projects are on display throughout the school. At least 50 veterans and active service members will be led into the ceremony by the FWPD Pipe and Drum Brigade. IPFW ROTC will present the Color, and the Lane student band and choir will lead the National Anthem. Principal Mark Bailey will give an address, and each veteran will have an opportunity to introduce themselves. There will also be a tribute video from Lane students as well as a taped video message from Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan featuring Lane teacher Adam Montgomery and Lane parent Kerry Ghent. There will be a reception for the VIP guests following the ceremony. This event continues to grow and is a huge source of pride for the staff and students at Lane.

 

Nov. 14

• Waynedale students and staff will participate in the Jeans for Troops program. Students and staff may wear jeans for a $1 donation. Jeans for Troops helps veterans find jobs and housing, go to college and access health care.

 

About Fort Wayne Community Schools
With nearly 31,000 students, Fort Wayne Community Schools is one of the largest school districts in Indiana. FWCS proudly allows families to choose any of its 51 schools through its successful school-choice program creating diversity in each school, including some with more than 75 languages spoken. FWCS offers seven magnet schools focusing on areas such as science and math, communication, fine arts or Montessori at the elementary and middle school level. In high school, students can choose from the prestigious International Baccalaureate program, Project Lead the Way or New Tech Academy as well as other rigorous academic and specialty training programs.

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