Gardner Manor and South Country schools hold Veterans Day breakfasts and parades; students lead tributes

Representatives from Gardner Manor and South Country presented to the board about Veterans Day celebrations that brought students and community veterans together for assemblies, breakfasts and parades.

Gardner Manor staff said the event began as a breakfast and grew into a program where students create artwork, acrostic poems and thank‑you notes to honor veterans. Miss Tejada described an inaugural 'breakfast with your veteran' that now includes a committee and contributions from staff and the PFA. Miss LaFranco said guests were checked in by branch of service, each student received a button and each veteran a pin; she reported, "We had about 40 veterans this year." Staff noted students escorted veterans, presented certificates and took group photos.

South Country staff described a similar, newer program that began last year as a parade around the building and expanded this year with grade‑level activities and classroom Q&A. Catherine Melendez and Erin Knapp explained grade‑level projects (third graders drew pictures, fourth graders wrote acrostic poems and fifth graders wrote messages on symbolic dog tags) and said music and hallway displays added to the celebration. A South Country presenter said the school hosted "almost 30 veterans" and that veterans later joined students for classroom conversations.

Students from both schools spoke to the board about what the events meant to them; examples included a student whose grandfather served in Vietnam and another who invited parents who served in the Coast Guard and Marine Corps. Student remarks emphasized intergenerational connections and pride in honoring local veterans.

Both schools thanked the board for support and said they plan to expand the events next year. The presentation was informational; there was no board vote.