Pattonville marks Veterans Day with events, lessons

Pattonville schools spent the weeks surrounding Veterans Day learning about and thanking local veterans for their service to the country. Several schools held special events. 

At the Pattonville Early Childhood Center, students participated in activities related to Veterans Day, including creating American flag inspired art using their hands as the stars.

At Bridgeway Elementary School, each class created cards and letters which were given to the Missouri Veterans Home – St. Louis, an area Elks Lodge and veteran family members of students. Three classrooms also heard from veterans who shared their military experiences. Second graders in Isabel DiSalvo’s and fifth graders in Brittany Lunders’s buddy classes heard from Isabel’s dad, Michael DiSalvo. Third graders in Natasha Malone’s third grade class had visits from William Johanson-Kubin and Kevin Wren, the fathers of students in her class.

Drummond Elementary School hosted its fourth annual Veterans Day Torch Run on Nov. 8. Students and staff invited current and veteran military members to walk through the hallways as students and staff held up signs and cheered for them. Following the run, students were invited outside for a special visit from a helicopter and presentation from St. Ann Police Department DARE officer Ana Russell about the military working alongside local police departments. The helicopter demonstrated its sirens and lights before and after landing. St. Ann police officer Joe Kinealy, who also serves in the Missouri Army National Guard, arranged the helicopter landing. Students also participated in classroom lessons or activities related to Veterans Day. 

At Parkwood Elementary School, fourth grade students honored veterans during the school’s annual Veterans Day concert. Before the concert, music teacher Katie Leonard guided fourth graders as they developed speaking parts, wrote scenes and created decorations. The day of the concert, students greeted guests and performed patriotic songs. At the end of the performance, veterans in attendance were individually thanked for their service as students and staff exited the gym. Any veteran in the community was invited to attend.

Rose Acres Elementary School invited military family members to share a special lunch with their students. The cafeteria was decorated with student-made banners and featured a slideshow highlighting pictures of the veterans present which played during all lunch shifts.

At Willow Brook Elementary School, students participated in classroom activities related to Veterans Day.

At the Academy of Innovation at Remington, kindergarten through third grade students watched a video and discussed the branches of the military and what it means to be a veteran. In addition, each student constructed a card with illustrations and brought them home to be distributed to veterans that they have a connection with. Middle school students were presented with choice board activities related to Veterans Day that they self selected to do. Activities ranged from listening to podcasts to creating pixel art depicting elements of Veterans Day. All products created from choice board activities were distributed to veterans.

At Holman Middle School, students and staff wore red, white and blue or other patriotic colors. Family members and staff who shared that they are veterans received a gift bag to honor their service which included a veterans collectors coin and certificate personalized to their line of service. Some advisory classrooms also shared lessons or activities related to Veterans Day. 

At Pattonville Heights Middle School students wrote letters and completed coloring pages and sent them to active and veteran military members through Operation Gratitude. Students also participated in classroom activities related to Veterans Day.

Pattonville High School hosted its annual Veterans Day breakfast and program on Nov. 11. Members of the Student Council and Rho Kappa National Social Studies Honor Society cheered veterans upon their arrival. Community participants who served in the armed forces and as first responders received a breakfast made and served by high school culinary arts students while listening to the high school orchestra perform. Afterward, a program in the auditorium featured flag folding and missing man ceremonies conducted by members of American Legion Post 213. The high school band and chamber choir also performed and a special veteran appreciation video was shown. This fall, Rho Kappa also participated in a fundraiser through Disabled American Veterans (DAV) called Field of Flags. Through the program, for every $250 raised, DAV sent 24 flags to put in the ground to create a field of flags. Rho Kappa students planted the flags the morning of Nov. 11 so visitors could see the display. The flags were up for about a week and will be saved to add to next year’s installation. See the photo gallery.