ST. CLAIRSVILLE, Ohio – St. Clairsville Schools students honored approximately 75 local veterans with breakfast and an assembly Monday to mark Veterans Day.
Mike McKeever, St. Clairsville Middle School Principal, said the Veterans Day assembly is an annual event that students have held for more than 16 years.
It’s for our students, for our schools, for our community.
Mike McKeever, St. Clairsville Middle School Principal,
Students learn about patriotism and sacrifice, so the day is an important teaching tool. McKeever explained the inspiration for the Veterans Day assembly.
It’s kind of twofold. Number one is to honor our veterans, those who have served, and number two is to teach our kids basically respect for our military services and show them how important it is to us in our everyday lives and allows our kids to really learn by our community coming in like this and our veterans…teaches our kids a lot about patriotism and pride.
Mike McKeever, St. Clairsville Middle School Principal,
Students in grades 5 to 12 participated in the assembly. This year, even some elementary school students joined in as the third and fourth grade Music Makers group performed. Several middle school and high school speakers also participated as well as community members.
Approximately 70 to 75 veterans gathered at the St. Clairsville Schools campus along with their families, friends and neighbors with ties to the school.
Becca Schwertfeger, Middle School Student Council Advisor and English language arts teacher helps students organize the event and the Veterans’ Wall of Honor.
My role here is the Wall of Honor, which pictures or displays over 650 pictures of active and retired veterans throughout the country, along with some overseas veterans right now. And I also head up our gift bags that we give all of the veterans that attend our. breakfast.
Becca Schwertfeger, Middle School Student Council Advisor and English language arts teacher
Schwertfeger said the veterans’ gift bags contain a deck of cards, a key chain, some snacks, some baked goods, some pins, and a bracelet. She called these gifts “little things” to show that students honor the veterans’ sacrifice.
The prinical said Schwertfeger and her students do a wonderful job organizing the Veterans Day assesmbly.
I just want to thank Mrs. Schwertfeger and her students for all the work they’ve done helping us prepare for today’s veterans’ assembly. They do a tremendous amount of work and the kids are directly involved under her leadership
Mike McKeever, St. Clairsville Middle School Principal,
Following a breakfast in the school cafeteria, the veterans were honored with a patriotic assembly in the school gym which was filled to capacity with students and staff appreciative of the veterans’ service to our nation.
