Veterans Day at Woodland
Warren Township Schools
In honor of Veterans Day, Woodland School students and staff dressed in Patriotic colors and assembled in the gymnasium to welcome six very important guests.
To kick off the Veterans Day celebration, everyone rose for the Pledge of Allegiance and The Star Spangled Banner, led by grade 5 student Cate Kardos.
Principal Jeffrey Heaney addressed the crowd of Kindergarten through grade 5 students to explain the importance of honoring and thanking the men and women that have served in the United States Military for their service to the United States of America.
Following Heaney’s opening statements, five Woodland students, including Kardos, Olivia Orefice, Isabella Sicignano, Eduardo Rodriguez, and Laura Bubnowski, came to the podium to read heartfelt thank you letters they had prepared. The students thanked all veterans for sacrificing time away from their loved ones to protect the citizens of the United States.
Grade 5 student Olivia Orefice made a special reference to her grandfather while reading her card to the crowd. “Dear Veterans, thank you so much for your courage; my grandpa served in the Korean War, so I have a little perspective as to how hard it was for you. I honestly think that you are so brave and awesome because you fought for this country and my life. I hope you have an amazing Veterans Day, your friend Olivia.”
Next up, the lights were turned down as Heaney played a video showcasing images of relatives of the staff and students who had previously or are currently serving in one of the six military branches. The images played over the sounds of Mariah Carey’s “Hero”.
After the video, Heaney invited Chase Surbrug, Tyler Lippitt, Charlotte Ohlson, Rama Scarpone, Kieran Melia, and Facundo Guerrero to introduce the guests of honor.
Surbrug introduced Mr. Ronald Budis, a member of the 82nd Airborne Division based in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Budis was an Airborne Mechanic and Parts Clerk with the 782nd Maintenance Battalion, and Warren Township Schools are lucky to have him on staff as a Maintenance staff member.
Lippitt introduced his Grandfather and US Army Veteran, Mr. Arthur Lippitt. Mr. Lippitt served as 1st Lieutenant as an Infantry Officer and spent thirteen months in Korea.
Ohlson introduced her Grandfather and US Army Veteran Captain Jim Ohlson. Captain Ohlson was awarded two Bronze Star Medals while in Vietnam.
Scarpone introduced her Grandfather and US Navy Veteran Mr. Kenneth Laundenslager, who served as a Radioman and then was assigned aboard the USS Noa (Destroyer) until the ship was decommissioned.
Melia introduced Retired Colonel Dan Mahon, who served in the US Army from 1972 until his retirement in 2014.
Lastly, Guerrero introduced Mr. Adam Sullivan, United States Marine Corps. Mr. Sullivan served for nine years as a Meteorological Equipment Technician. Sergeant Sullivan was deployed to Okinawa, Japan, the Philippines, South Korea, Yuma, Arizona, and Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom.
Captain Ohlson, Navyman Laudenslager, Colonel Mahon, and Sergeant Sullivan took the stage and briefly described their time in the US Military. Mahon asked the students to consider ways in which they can be of service to their communities.
The students and staff rose to their feet at the conclusion of the introductions.“It was so special to have the Veterans, who are heroes, join us for our assembly. Their messages of hard work, teamwork, and perseverance resonated with our students. Many staff, students, and Veterans had tears in their eyes as we took time to think about how amazing those that serve our country are. I am very proud of the students who spoke, the thank you letters that they wrote, and the great videos they created,” stated Principal Heaney.
To end the afternoon, the crowd viewed a special video created by ELL Teacher Ms. Achau Nguyen featuring clips of the Woodland students explaining what Veterans Day means to them.
The district would like to acknowledge the students who participated in the assembly and thank each of the six honored guests for their service.
Photos by Warren Township Schools
