Numa Elementary recognizes veterans

Students at Numa Elementary School honored the veterans of the community Thursday, during a special Veterans Day assembly.

The assembly’s activities opened with a color guard by the Boy Scouts and the singing of “Thank You Soldiers” by the fifth grade choir. Alibi Davis also presented a Veterans Day poem and students from Mrs. Austin’s class performed a skit where a veteran explained the importance of the day to his grandchildren.

The events ended with a ceremony where all veterans were asked to stand; the members of the student council then went to each one and presented them with an American flag pin to thank them for their service. The assembly was closed out with the choir singing “This Land is Your Land.”

According to Noreen Swenson, Numa’s counselor, the events were organized by fifth-grade teachers Lisa Solinski and Amanda Bowlin. Their classes made up the choir portions of the assembly.

“We were very pleased,” Swenson said. “We’re very thankful they (Solinski and Bowlin) put the work in planning and coordinating that.”

Students at Numa also spent the days leading up to Veterans Day learning about the significance and what being a veteran means. According to Swenson, they did writing assignments on that theme and constructed a “Wall of Honor” — comprised of photos and information about family members who are veterans — that now sits in Numa’s cafeteria; Swenson noted the wall would stay on display for the time being.

The school tried to incorporate as many students as possible into the assembly. One fourth grader from each class was selected to lead the assembly in the Pledge of Allegiance. They also found roles for other students who wanted to participate throughout the program.

“It was trying to get as many kids involved as possible and still keep things manageable,” Swenson said.