"No School" is a happy announcement to the second graders in my classroom. You do not have to give a reason, they just know it is an undemanding day for them. Hooray!
But, I try to give instruction on why Veteran's Day is not just another day out of school. What is a Veteran, and why do we honor them? Being an "Air Force Brat" myself, as was my Larry, having deep ties to our country was built in. I love my country, but the people in its armed services are the true heroes that made our country ~ America. Unfortunately for our little guys in my classroom, when I explained that any person in the military, or "army" in general is what they recognized, was what Veteran's Day was for, they all could raise their hand that they had someone serving, be it uncle, aunt, brother or cousin (none had a parent in duty currently).
Respect is earned, but it is taught, also. In our classroom of 7 and 8 year olds, we spoke of people who went into military service. While we all agreed that we do not like fighting, we did understand helping to keep people safe when there was danger. You have to agree, war being explained to the young is a hard subject. But, I always want a child to have the respect of a person who serves, including police, firefighters and others that give, to protect them. Me. Our nation. Our freedom to worship Jesus, too, as we just finished up our studies on the Separatists, who then became our Pilgrims. (They thought there was a tie to Vet's Day, since we read of the Mayflower landing on November 11, 1620. Kids are cute!)
After the discussion, we observed a moment of silence.
Always, this is most touching, as you rarely catch a group of children still.
Straight and tall, proud as the soldiers they honor.
We stand for one minute,
(I have also showed them how to watch the sweeping second hand),
and then we bow and pray.
We pray for all that we know serving, and Grandparents and Dads that have served, and all those we do not know.
and to all you know, too. God bless our Veterans!
But, I try to give instruction on why Veteran's Day is not just another day out of school. What is a Veteran, and why do we honor them? Being an "Air Force Brat" myself, as was my Larry, having deep ties to our country was built in. I love my country, but the people in its armed services are the true heroes that made our country ~ America. Unfortunately for our little guys in my classroom, when I explained that any person in the military, or "army" in general is what they recognized, was what Veteran's Day was for, they all could raise their hand that they had someone serving, be it uncle, aunt, brother or cousin (none had a parent in duty currently).
Respect is earned, but it is taught, also. In our classroom of 7 and 8 year olds, we spoke of people who went into military service. While we all agreed that we do not like fighting, we did understand helping to keep people safe when there was danger. You have to agree, war being explained to the young is a hard subject. But, I always want a child to have the respect of a person who serves, including police, firefighters and others that give, to protect them. Me. Our nation. Our freedom to worship Jesus, too, as we just finished up our studies on the Separatists, who then became our Pilgrims. (They thought there was a tie to Vet's Day, since we read of the Mayflower landing on November 11, 1620. Kids are cute!)
After the discussion, we observed a moment of silence.
Always, this is most touching, as you rarely catch a group of children still.
Straight and tall, proud as the soldiers they honor.
We stand for one minute,
(I have also showed them how to watch the sweeping second hand),
and then we bow and pray.
We pray for all that we know serving, and Grandparents and Dads that have served, and all those we do not know.
and to all you know, too. God bless our Veterans!
Our America Quilt, September 2010
Thank You, Veterans,
Pokey
Pokey
Thank you for teaching your class about Veterans' Day. When we were youngsters, we were taught about it, but nowadays too many kids have no idea why they have the day off from school (as you have already observed). There is something very sad about that, so I am glad you are trying to get the message across to your students!
ReplyDeletePokey - you are such a good teacher! Thank you for helping them have a better understanding of what Veterans Day is about.
ReplyDeleteWhat an impact you have on these young minds....
ReplyDeleteMrs. Davis, Thank you!
ReplyDeleteWhat a sweet post, Pokey! It is so obvious that you are a gifted, caring teacher and I bet your students love you. I think everyone has teachers they remember with fondness - and I am sure you will never be forgotten by many of your "kids". Carol
ReplyDeleteHow nice you had a day off...we didn't have a day off here...sounds like you know your job.God Bless Trish
ReplyDeleteHow very sweet! Thank you for teaching them about our freedom, Pokey!
ReplyDelete