CES Honors Veterans

Catskill Elementary School honored local veterans with a school-wide ceremony November 9th! We invited local veterans to be our honored guests, and local men and women who served as long ago as WWII on up to active duty attended.

On the cover of this year’s program was a drawing by 4th grader Kayden Dolan thanking veterans of the Navy, Airforce, Army, Marines, and Coast Guard, and on the back was an essay by 5th grader Makhai Henry titled “What the American Flag means to me,” which won the Greene County NY13 Blue Star Mothers’ essay contest this past October.

After American Legion Post 110 presented the nation’s colors, Dr. Cook, our Superintendent of Schools, and Mr. Rivers, our school’s Principal, provided opening remarks and welcomed our veteran guests to CES. Then Student Council President Travis Bulich led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Our keynote speaker was Mr. McMahon, who teaches physical education at CES and who served as a Marine from 1993-1999. During his remarks, Mr. McMahon told the students that the best way to thank vets is to be respectful and good every day, because actions speak louder than words. “When you see Old Glory blowing in the wind, it should remind you to be good,” he told the students before asking everybody to join him in a big Marine Corps “Hoorah!”

Following Mr. McMahon’s remarks, CES teacher and retired veteran Mr. Rice narrated a flag folding presentation presented by VFW Post 770. The CES Chorus sang “America, of Thee I Sing” and then, with Mr. Thibault on guitar, Mrs. Verdichizzy on piano, and Mrs. Drewello on the drum kit, all the students and guests sang patriotic songs together like “Three Cheers for the Red, White and Blue,” “This Land is Your Land,” and “God Bless the U.S.A.” After the ceremony, our school invited the veterans who attended up to the library for a reception with refreshments.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted in Elementary School.