All four of the public schools in the Coronado Unified School District (CUSD) held events this year to celebrate and thank Veterans in our community. Village Elementary and Coronado Middle School (CMS) each sponsored “Take A Veteran to School day”. Strand Elementary hosted a flag raising ceremony and Coronado High School (CHS) held its inaugural program in the quad at morning break.
Our district hosts the largest “Take a Veteran to School” celebration in the nation. The program was initiated in 2007 by HISTORY to connect veterans with students. Thousands of schools nationwide have taken the time to honor veterans with everything from all school assemblies to simple gatherings.
Here is what CUSD schools did:
Village Elementary School
Each student is provided a star printed on card stock and asked to decorate it in honor of a veteran in their life. Many families decorated more than one. Stars are displayed in Village Hall to honor our veterans and serve as a reminder, each day, of the sacrifices so many have made.
This year, “Take a Veteran to School” was celebrated Thursday, November 7. Flags lined the entrances to the school and students and their veterans were met by members of the Village Ambassador Club to sign in. Scores of veterans and their students enjoyed a breakfast reception in Village Hall while a slide show played featuring patriotic music and pictures of Village students and their veterans. Principal Whitney DeSantis offered brief comments and led everyone in a moment of silence to remember those who can no longer be with us. Children posed for pictures with their guest veterans and the vibe was positive and heartwarming.
Ambassador Club members sign in guests.
Crew members from the USS Coronado volunteered to help with the morning breakfast.
The Niedzwiecki children pose with their father, Matt, an active duty Naval officer.
Naval Officer Dan Hopkins with US Marines Michael Wastila and his father George Wastila
After the breakfast reception, students who brought veterans escorted them to class and introduced their guest to their classmates. Each of the 26 classrooms featured a speaker. The oldest speaker, Arnie Setterlund, is a Coronado resident and WWII veteran. Herb Zoehrer represented the Korean War and the speakers featured a variety of specialties including active duty doctors, SEALs, pilots, a public affairs officer, a physical therapist, nurses and a September 11 survivor. The presence of our veterans in the classroom helped connect generations and bring history to life. Fifth grade mom Jennifer C. said that, “For those of us who are not military, the experience sparked a conversation that lasted not only that night, but also the next morning. It was such a great thing for our son.”
Sam Zoehrer with his veteran grandfather, Herb Zoehrer. Dr. Scot Youngblood demonstrates applying a cast.
World War II Veteran Arnie Setterlund with his neighbor. Navy Veteran Blanca Shaeffer with her son, Kyle.
Teachers and staff at Village could be seen sporting yellow “Take a Veteran to School” day shirts. Food and coffee was provided by many Village parents and Time Warner cable. Supplies for decorations were provided by Boney’s Bayside Market and numerous volunteers.
The morning culminated in a sky dive demonstration on the field (more on this later).
Early Childhood Development Center
Each child was provided a star on card stock and the stars were displayed in the ECDC office. Children and their veterans joined the breakfast festivities in Village Hall. Following the breakfast reception, they were treated to a presentation at their site by active duty Navy SEALs and members of Special Boat Team TWELVE. Their experience also included an 11 meter RIB (rigid inflatable boat) that they got to walk around and touch. ECDC students and teachers walked to the field to enjoy the sky divers.
ECDC students make their way around the 11 meter RIB. Photo courtesy Maria Oytas.
Active duty visitors at the Early Childhood Development Center.
Coronado Middle School
A guest veteran is greeted by a CMS ASB member.
The morning of November 7, flags lined the block that is Coronado Middle School. The celebration started in Granzer Hall with a breakfast reception for veteran guest speakers, CMS students and their veterans. The CMS Choir and Advanced Performing Arts groups sang and danced to “America Sings”. Digital Media class KCMS produced a special, extended broadcast for the festivities that was streamed to every classroom and Granzer Hall. The broadcast featured Mr. Mead Rust, Senior Manager, Community Marketing for A&E Networks/The History Channel who traveled from New York and brought a full film crew to document the event. Special guest Captain Chris Sund, Commanding Officer Naval Base Coronado introduced Julian resident, Vietnam veteran and Congressional Medal of Honor recipient John Baca. KCMS produced three videos that were played as part of the broadcast. Each video somehow related to the students and Veterans’ day. There was a feature on special guest Baca, a piece on CMS student Yannick Peterhans and his hero, WWII veteran Ernie Zamperini and a video of CMS student Maddie Bancroft who lost her dad in Afghanistan when she was 8 months old. Each video was well produced and powerful.
The CMS choir sings as part of the breakfast reception in Granzer Hall.
Granzer Hall is transformed with red, white and blue for the Veterans day celebration.
Coronado Middle School’s guest veterans
After the breakfast, there were 48 veterans in 24 home room classes who shared their military experiences with the middle school students and discussed why veterans’ day is important. There were 11 KCMS crews interviewing students and documenting the event. There were yearbook photographers out in force as well. Once the classroom speakers were finished, the entire middle school walked to the stadium where the NJROTC Color Guard presented the colors and teacher Brooke Binns and her CHS student, Tyler Gilmore, sang the National Anthem.
A Coronado Middle School student admires the Congressional Medal of Honor.
Sky Dive San Diego provided the awesome finale to a wonderful morning of recognition and gratitude.
The entire morning culminated with Sky Dive San Diego putting on quite a show. There were over a dozen sky divers who fell through the sky while students from ECDC, Village and CMS looked skyward. They could even be seen from the CHS quad. There were stories of people around town stopping to watch as well. The weather was perfect and the colors were flown in the grandest of style.
Students, staff and veterans enjoyed the day. CMS event coordinator Amy Steward said, “I am very proud to teach in a district where Take a Veteran to School Day and taking time to honor and connect veterans with students is valued. It was a fabulous day and as a teacher, the way I know to celebrate Veterans’ Day!”
Coronado High School
The high school, through the efforts of the Social Studies department with help from ASB, organized a tribute in the quad. They made a “Wall of Honor” that was placed outside of the multipurpose room at the morning break and at lunch Thursday, November 7. The NJROTC presented the colors and the COSA tour group sang the National Anthem while students, teachers and a half dozen guest veterans looked on.
The COSA tour group did a fantastic job singing the National Anthem.
Students examine the names on the Wall of Honor.
Students received cards in their social studies classes and were invited to honor veterans in their life by writing the Name, branch of military and years/places of service. The cards were then placed on the wall of honor.
History teacher Joe South took the opportunity to invite a veteran to speak to several of his classes. Born and raised in Coronado, World War II and 101st airborne veteran Tom Rice, 92+, engaged students with his tails of jumping behind enemy lines at Normandy. He talked about the training it took to successfully join the airborne ranks.
Islander Katie H. talks with active duty during the break. Six active duty members were present for the ceremony.
World War II Veteran Tom Rice with CHS teacher Joe South.
Silver Strand Elementary
Friday, November 8 Silver Strand Elementary hosted their 5th annual “Silver Strand Honors its Military Heroes” event. The event was held in conjunction with the regular Friday morning flagpole assembly. Students were encouraged to wear patriotic colors or camouflage in honor of the event. After the pledge of allegiance and the singing of the school song, Jeanne Lagorio, Military Family Life Consultant (MFLC) led the Military Kids Club as they performed Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA” in American Sign Language.
Members of the Military Kids Club perform “Proud to be an American” in American Sign Language.
Local veteran John Coolidge, who grew up in Silver Strand military housing, refinished and donated two benches that will be placed on school grounds to honor military families. A plaque on the benches reads “For the men and women for their daily sacrifices to ensure freedom of our children of Silver Strand because they are our future.”
The event concluded in Strand Hall where veterans and all military parents and their children enjoyed snacks and were invited to have their picture taken to be included on a banner titled “Our Military Hero Families”. The banner will hang in the new Family Connections Room at the school for the remainder of the school year. A second banner, “Our deployed military heroes” is also displayed and includes small ships decorated with yellow ribbons and placed in the part of the world where that service member is deployed. Once the family member returns from deployment, the ship will don an American flag and move back to San Diego on the map.
Special thanks go to Sky Dive San Diego and the Coronado VFW post for making the parachute jump happen. Time Warner sponsors the programs at Village and CMS. Navy Region Southwest provides the snacks for Strand’s reception. Numerous volunteers make it all happen.
Check out these videos produced by the CMS digital media team, KCMS provided courtesy of KCMS News Team.
John Baca Story-vimeo from KCMS News Team on Vimeo.
Maddie Bancroft Story-vimeo from KCMS News Team on Vimeo.
Yannick Peterhans-vimeo from KCMS News Team on Vimeo.
Kellee Hearther
Staff Writer
eCoronado.com
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All CMS photos provided by the Coronado Middle School yearbook staff. Photo of Dr. Youngblood courtesy of Amy Youngblood.
