Fairview-Jewell students hold veterans parade, reception
Fri, 2015-11-13 05:00
News Staff
By LYNETTE SOWELL
Saturday’s Veterans Day parade might have been rained out, but Fairview-Jewell Elementary students had their own parade of veterans on Tuesday morning.
Students lined the hallways as a contingent of active duty and veteran parents, grandparents and even some school staff marched in a loop throughout the campus to the sound of patriotic music and cheers, with flags and a few high-fives.
The parade, headed up by uniformed soldiers, ended with an appearance by the “S.S. Bulldawg,” a cardboard boat steered by the school staff, to the delight of the students.
After the parade, veterans were invited to the school’s cafeteria where they were treated to light breakfast refreshments and beverages.
The third grade choir assembled and performed several songs, including “On Veterans Day” and the classic “God Bless America,” complete with holding up hand-drawn posters and waving flags.
Two fifth graders weighed in on what Veterans Day meant to them, and their families.
“My brother is in the Navy, and my dad was, and both of my uncles and my grandpa papa as well,” said Austin Sailer, age 10. “They were all on the SS Vincent, except my grandpa and my papa. I say (Veterans Day) is pretty important because we celebrate the events which our fellow members served during all the wars, and my grandpa served during Vietnam, too.’
Justin Sikes, another fifth grader, also talked about Veterans Day.
“It’s a day where we honor the people who served, and died in the wars that we’ve had,” Sikes said, whose father served as a military operator in the Army for 10 years.
His favorite part of the parade was the cardboard boat, and seeing his science teacher, Mr. Lewis, in the boat.
In addition to the Fairview-Jewell campus saluting veterans, other campuses celebrated this week including House Creek and Halstead Elementary campuses, which also had parades, and Williams-Ledger Elementary having an assembly and hosting a military appreciation lunch on Tuesday.
The Copperas Cove Junior High School sixth grade World History classes also hosted veterans who came to speak to the classes about their military service experiences throughout the day.