March 29, 2024

Thomas Jefferson students cheer on veterans

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Chants of “USA” rang through the hallways of Thomas Jefferson Elementary School Friday afternoon as more than 100 students, veterans and parents marched with their flags held high. Principal Trisca Mick said it was the first year the school had held a program quite like this one.

Students were assigned with a task the past few weeks — to ask a family member or a friend who is a veteran if they would attend the school’s Veterans Day program. In addition, Rachel Tomas, an instructional coach at the school, invited veterans from the Newton American Legion to participate.

Students were then matched up with the veteran they had invited, and random students were paired with veterans from the legion. A line was formed and the crew marched through the hallways as the rest of the faculty and students cheered them on.

“The response was great,” Tomas said. “It was a bigger turnout than we expected, and we were very pleased with how everything went.”

Staff members said they really didn’t know what to expect because it was the first year the school held a Veterans Day program. Mick said she was asked by Newton Community School District Superintendent Bob Callaghan if there were any programs going on at the schools and that’s when she brought the idea to Thomas Jefferson’s leadership committee.

Mick said every teacher was asked to come up with a patriotic craft that could be used during the march.

“We left it very open, and they created a mini-lesson in their classrooms,” Mick said. “We also suggested that students wear red, white and blue in honor of Veteran’s Day.”

Parent Vicki Knudtson, of Newton, and her daughter Zoey, 4, a student at the school, participated in the march. Knudtson said she is a veteran herself and she thought the day was truly touching.

“We have a 20-year-old son who is serving,” Knudtson said. “They even wrote the names of family members of veterans who are serving right now and hung them up on the window.”

Knudtson said she has five children and she has never attended or heard of an event like this one.

“It’s just really nice they took the time to do this,” Knudtson said.

Ashley Williamson, of Newton, said she wasn’t sure if her mother or father, who are both veterans, would be able to make the trip from Oskaloosa. But Raiden Bookout, a fourth grader, was given the best surprise when he saw his grandfather at school.

“He didn’t know grandpa was coming,” Williamson said. “My dad is 63 and served seven years in the Army — I wish more schools would do things like this for our veterans.”

Veterans were beaming with smiles and some were even moved to tears as they marched during the event. Mick said it was just a small gesture to show their appreciation.

“We talk a lot about the Cardinal Code here and this was a golden opportunity to teach our kids to be caring and respectful to those who have done so much for us,” Mick said. “Thomas Jefferson will continue to have a Veterans Day event of some sort.”

Contact Kayla Singletary at 641-792-3121 ext. 6533 or ksingletary@newtondailynews.com