 5th and 6th grade homage to our Vets. | MCS |
On Tuesday afternoon November 10, 2015, Minerva Central School honored their local Veterans with a lunch and ceremony; complete with a guest speaker, informational displays, singing, food as well as presenting and retrieving the Colors.
On the surface, this is how Minerva Central School students spent the early afternoon. Two hours of their regular schedule were put aside to honor our local Veterans. It seems like such a short amount of time to give for people who gave so much of themselves in serving our country. As an educator, learning is all about connections. If you can get your students to make a memorable connection between what you are teaching and their everyday lives – it makes a world of difference to their learning experience
On the surface, this is how Minerva Central School students spent the early afternoon. Two hours of their regular schedule were put aside to honor our local Veterans. It seems like such a short amount of time to give for people who gave so much of themselves in serving our country. As an educator, learning is all about connections. If you can get your students to make a memorable connection between what you are teaching and their everyday lives – it makes a world of difference to their learning experience
Countless connections were made that afternoon. Geoff Crouse led us in recognizing Veterans from every military branch. As each Veteran stood up to be recognized, MCS students were looking at their fellow community members in a different light. These are the people they see around town all the time – picking up a coffee at Sullivan’s, or disposing of garbage at the transfer station, or picking up their mail at the Post Office. Until today, our students didn’t know these people were Veterans. So the next time any of our students wave and say hello, it will have so much more meaning behind it.
2nd Grade discovering a picture from one ot their lessons Even more connections were made as the students walked passed the displays. I overheard one teacher remark about a photograph; her students’ faces lit up and they collectively proclaimed, “We read about that yesterday!” Two sisters also made a connection and exclaimed, “Look mom, its grandpa!” They had found a photograph of their grandfather as a young soldier. The opportunity to physically see items, which until now they had only ever seen in pictures, proved to be an invaluable experience for all of them. Now, our students can better visualize what it means when they are taught about America’s military history.
 | Kurt Brunn presented the Colors to formally open the ceremony. He also retrieved the Colors at the ceremony’s closing. Teachers emphasized that by honoring the flag we are honoring our country. Now I think that when The Pledge of Allegiance is read over the loud speaker in the morning, our students will be reminded of Mr. Brunn presenting and retrieving the Colors that day.  |
Bob Savarie appeared as our guest speaker. Mr. Savarie not only served his country as a soldier in World War II, but he also served his community after returning home by becoming a teacher at MCS. It was simply such a great connection for our students to be able to make. Mr. Savarie, in excellent teacher fashion, made sure his speech was relevant to our students. He opened with a question for them: “Why is the date December 7, 1941 significant?” They knew the answer. Mr. Savarie’s next statement brought a new perspective to their lives: “I was 15 years old and halfway through my sophomore year of high school on that date.”
Mr. Savarie spoke on what it was like for him to be a solider. He reminisced about the day the announcement was made that the war was over and our troops would be coming home. He looked up at the students and said, “Not everyone came home that day; I did not come home.” There was still fighting to be done and at 19 years old, Mr. Savarie was given a new job in the military and he did not return home on that day.
Our students learned how each star on the World War II Memorial, represents 100 men who were lost and 7 who did not return home to their families in Minerva. Mr. Savarie reached out and grabbed the students’ hearts with his closing speech. He extended a personal thank you to one of their classmates; a young man who had approached Mr. Savarie at the recent Freedom Riders event and thanked him for his service to our country. Mr. Savarie could have presented his speech in a number of ways. The one he chose though, brought a little piece of history right into our students’ laps. Today, our students could see, hear and even touch parts of our country’s history.
Two especially important things happened in our gymnasium that day: we honored our Veterans in a profound and personal way and our Veterans honored us.
Thank you to all our Veterans and to the guests able to join us that day. As well as to those who could not. We are proud of your service and are honored to have you as members of our community.
Two especially important things happened in our gymnasium that day: we honored our Veterans in a profound and personal way and our Veterans honored us.
Thank you to all our Veterans and to the guests able to join us that day. As well as to those who could not. We are proud of your service and are honored to have you as members of our community.
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