Croton-Harmon Students Celebrate Veterans, Including Many Family Members, While Learning about the Importance of Honor and Respect
A sea of red, white and blue rippled over the green grass of the Croton-Harmon Carrie E. Tompkins Elementary School on Veterans Day. Kids waved homemade flags, some of them shaped like hearts, and held thank you signs. Red, white and blue balloons dotted the lawn, and some students and teachers dressed in patriotic colors. About thirty men and women in uniform mingled with the crowd.
For some kids too young to remember any wars involving American troops, it was an educational introduction to the meaning of Veterans Day and the sacrifices of our servicemen and women.
Hosted by the elementary school’s Kindness Club which is led by teachers Marlena Horton and Ana Maria Strattner, the veterans were honored with breakfast and entertainment. New this year to the festivities, each grade performed a song, or poem, and one class choreographed a dance to the 1941 classic “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” by the Andrews Sisters. It was a big hit then, and today!
The mission of the Kindness Club is to understand and appreciate others’ values, perspectives and experiences. Ms. Horton says, “We’re incredibly proud to be able to honor the contributions of veterans from our community, and to show them our gratitude. This is an important lesson for our students and it’s our pleasure to host this wonderful group of people.”
Some of the veterans in attendance are graduates of West Point up the road in Cold Spring. Second Lt. Ryan Duran led the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance and and Chief of Community Engagement Jim Fox spoke about the and interacted with students on an unseasonably warm November 11th. And following the festivities outside, veterans gave presentations about their service in various classrooms. Some of the vets are parents and grandparents of Croton elementary students.
Fourth grader Ruby was there with her mom, a United States Marine. Ruby says, “I’m proud of my mom’s service - and especially proud because she is one of so few women here.”
Some of the veterans in attendance are affiliated with the American Legion. They also visited students at the middle school where they described their military experiences and took questions. The Croton Schools have enjoyed a long relationship with the American Legion.
Also, members of the Tri-M Music Honor Society honored veterans by playing at the Croton Yacht Club for the Veteran’s luncheon ceremony.
