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FWCS Celebrates Veterans Day

Fort Wayne Community Schools will honor and celebrate Veterans Day with activities and events at every school in the District. Most schools will celebrate on Friday, Nov. 11, but because of scheduling conflicts, some will celebrate on other days. Schools will honor veterans in their families, perform patriotic music and participate in assemblies with local veterans groups.

Monday, Nov. 7

  • Harris – All week, students are writing letters to veterans at Shepherd’s House, fathers of Harris students in the Air National Guard and those serving in the Navy alongside the son of a Harris teacher
  • Lindley – Members of the American Legion, Lincoln Post 82, visit Lindley for a flag-folding ceremony with fourth-graders. The event is a kick-off for the Flag Essay Contest hosted by the American Legion on “What the Flag Means to Me.”
  • Shambaugh – Students created a Veterans Day display, including a 3D American Flag made in art classes. Throughout the week, students are making cards for local veterans to be sent to the VA Hospital.

Wednesday, Nov. 9

  • Weisser Park – The American Boychoir will perform for students at 1:15 p.m. During the performance, there will be a slide show and musical tribute to veterans. The American Boychoir School is based in Princeton, N.J., and the choir performs around the world. The choir consists of boys in fourth through eighth grades, reflecting the ethnic, religious and cultural diversity of the United States. While keeping up with their academic demands, the boys balance schoolwork with an intense national and international touring schedule.

Thursday, Nov. 10

  • Fairfield – Veteran family members or friends of Fairfield students are invited to a special lunch at Fairfield catered by Wings, Etc. During the lunch periods (11:10 a.m.-1:10 p.m.), the Fairfield Falcon Chorus will perform patriotic and historic music; students will share thank-you letters, cards and posters with the veterans; and a Veterans Day slideshow will be shown. After lunch, veterans will be invited to classrooms to talk to students about their military experience.
  • Lane – Students will participate in a Veterans Day assembly at 8:30 a.m. Retired veterans and active servicemen and women related or otherwise connected to Lane staff and students will be recognized.
  • Wayne – At 2:30 p.m., students will participate in the Take a Vet to School program, created by the History channel. The program, supported locally by Frontier, brings veterans to the school to share their stories and answer questions from students. At Wayne, members of the JROTC program will participate in the celebration. In addition, students at New Tech Academy will meet with local veterans in small groups to talk to them about their experiences serving the country.

Friday, Nov. 11

Elementary Schools

  • Adams – At 10:15 a.m. the school will honor local veterans at a special program. All veterans, especially those who are family members of Adams students and staff, are welcome to attend.
  • Arlington – Students and staff will continue Arlington’s tradition of honoring local veterans and remembering Arlington family members who have served the country in a program beginning at 9 a.m. All veterans are invited to the assembly. Vietnam Veteran and former Holland Elementary Principal Mike Caywood will serve as guest speaker. Students will sing patriotic songs and share essays, and a slideshow of Arlington students and their family members who have served over the years will be shown.
  • Bloomingdale – Students will participate in a celebration and remembrance of veterans in the community at 1:30 p.m.
  • Brentwood – Students and staff will participate in an assembly at 10 a.m. The event will include a Flag ceremony with the 122nd Fighter Wing Honor Guard, songs by students and veteran special guests.
  • Croninger – There will be an all-school recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance and singing of “God Bless America” at 8:25 a.m. Students are also asked to bring in pictures of family members who have served for the school’s Hero Board.
  • Forest Park – Students will participate in a Veterans Day program at 1:30 p.m., which will include a solo performance by a fourth-grader singing the National Anthem. Students are encouraged to wear red, white or blue shirts. In addition, the Forest Park staff raised $262 for the VA hospital by paying to wear jeans to school.
  • Franke Park – Students will gather for an assembly at 9:15 a.m. to learn more about what a veteran is and their importance in our lives, featuring family members who are veterans. Students will also have a musical presentation.
  • Glenwood Park – Family members who are veterans are invited to attend special ceremonies in the afternoon. Kindergarten, first and second grades will have a program at 1:30 p.m., followed by third through fifth grades at 2 p.m. The programs will include readings, drawings and music.
  • Holland – Students will participate in an assembly at 10 a.m. honoring veterans who are family and friends of Holland students and staff. Students will sing patriotic songs during the assembly.
  • Indian Village – Students and staff at Indian Village will honor veterans with a patriotic program at 9 a.m. Third- and fourth-graders will perform several patriotic musical numbers and have prepared speeches on the importance of Veterans Day.
  • Irwin – Students and staff will invite family and friends who are veterans to a breakfast reception at 9:30 a.m. followed by a special program at 10. Students will honor the veterans for the strength, dignity and sacrifices they have made.
  • Lincoln – Students will have the opportunity to learn about the military up close from 9:15 a.m. to Noon. The Army National Guard is bringing several pieces of large equipment to the school, which students will be able to go outside and see throughout the day. Students will also be able to talk to members of the National Guard and learn how the equipment is used.
  • Maplewood – Students will honor Veterans Day by writing letters to veterans.
  • Northcrest – Students and staff will honor veterans in an all-school assembly at 2 p.m.
  • Scott Academy – Students will participate in a Veterans Day program at 10 a.m. The assembly includes poetry readings, singing and a commemorative photo presentation.
  • South Wayne – Students will celebrate Veterans Day through music during a special assembly at 1:45 p.m. Students and their guests will then have the opportunity to decorate and eat cookies, and Student Council will present money raised to a charity serving veterans.
  • Study – Students will sing patriotic songs in a special program at 1:30 p.m. to recognize Students will also watch a short video on Veterans Day and its significance, and students will be encouraged to research to learn their family’s history of service.
  • Washington – Students will participate in a celebration and remembrance of veterans in the community at 9:30 a.m.
  • Washington Center – Students and staff began a fundraiser on Oct. 31 for Honor Flight of Northeast Indiana. To celebrate Veterans Day, students are also writing letters to veterans participating in an Honor Flight.
  • Waynedale – Waynedale Elementary will pay tribute to generations who have served in defense of our Nation with an assembly at 9:30 a.m. The assembly will include presentation of the Colors by students in the JROTC program at Wayne. After the ceremony, veterans are invited to visit classrooms to talk with students.
  • Whitney Young – Teachers have been preparing students for Veterans Day by reading stories about veterans to students. Throughout the day Friday, Steve Fuchs, the school’s security guard, will visit classrooms to share his experience as a veteran and answer questions. Students will also write letters and draw pictures for veterans.

Intermediate School

  • Towles – Veterans in students’ lives are invited to a special program at 12:45 p.m. The program includes poetry readings, speeches and a special choir performance. Kindergarten students from Bunche Montessori Early Childhood Center will travel to Towles to join the program. Veterans are invited to stay for a reception following the program.

Middle Schools

  • Blackhawk – Students will invite veteran family members to lunch on Veterans Day where they will share their military service and talk to students in Social Studies classes. Students will have the opportunity to thank them for their service. After lunch, Student Council will sponsor a Patriotic Reception Room with cake and coffee for the veterans. In addition, the school will have a Veteran Wall of Fame featuring pictures of Blackhawk family veterans.
  • Jefferson – Jefferson will have a public flag-raising ceremony at 7:30 a.m. with patriotic music performed by the Eighth-Grade Band. Veterans, active duty military personnel and public safety officials are invited to the ceremony.
  • Kekionga – Veterans who are parents, guardians, friends and relatives of Kekionga students are invited to a Veterans’ Recognition Breakfast at 7:15 a.m. The school will honor the men and women who have served the community in any capacity, combat or non-combat, through military service. Guests will be accompanied by their student. At the breakfast, students will share writing and sing the National Anthem.
  • Lakeside – Students will invite their veteran family members and friends to Donuts with Dad beginning at 7:15 a.m. All students will then gather for an assembly at 8 a.m. with the Fort Wayne Police Department Honor Guard and Pipe and Drum Brigade.
  • Memorial Park – Students will be participating in the “Komets Kare Package” by writing thank-you letters to our veterans. This is a program sponsored by the Fort Wayne Komets and the News-Sentinel.
  • Miami – A display highlighting and honoring veterans on staff is set up for the month of November. Social Studies classes will study Veterans Day and the meaning behind the remembrance.
  • Northwood – Students will learn about Veterans Day and its importance in announcements throughout the school day. The school will have a brief flag ceremony and will write letters to veterans.
  • Portage – English/Language Arts and Social Studies classes will work collaboratively at all grade levels to write letters for veterans participating in an upcoming Honor Flight.
  • Shawnee – Students will learn about Veterans Day in Social Studies class and will write letters to veterans participating in a future Honor Flight.

High Schools

  • North Side – The North Side Choir will sing the National Anthem at 11:11 a.m. Students will share letters written to veterans, and students and staff are encouraged to wear red, white and blue. During the lunch periods from Noon to 1:30 p.m., a veteran will visit to share their experience.
  • Northrop – Students in U.S. history and government classes will hear from veterans during their class period. Teachers are invited to wear jeans for the week by donating $5 to go to Jeans for Troops, a fundraiser for the GI Go Fund, which provides assistance to all military veterans, with a focus on veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan, by helping them find employment, access housing and secure their education and health benefits. In addition, the school will kick off a fundraiser for Puppies Behind Bars, an organization that trains service dogs for disabled veterans.
  • Snider – A Veterans Day tribute display has been put together including artifacts from various wars, uniforms of staff members who have served and biographies and photos of family members who have served.

Wednesday, Nov. 23

Shawnee – A Veterans Thanks Assembly will be at 1:30 p.m. There will be musical performances by the choirs and bands, including military tunes, while pictures of Shawnee veterans or family members who are veterans are shown. Students who have military members in their families will carry stars with names to the assembly. During the assembly the various branches of the military will be recognized.