Licking Heights Middle School National Junior Honor Society members are excited to host and honor those who served or are currently serving in the United States Armed Forces. This is the 15th year the middle school will hold its annual Veterans Day breakfast and celebration.
“It is important to recognize and honor our veterans because they have risked themselves for our freedom,” NJHS President Ekam Judge said. “Without their service, we would not have the freedoms that we have today.”
All Middle School students are invited to bring a veteran to the school on Friday, November 10 for breakfast and a special program. The festivities will take place from 8 to 10 a.m. at Licking Heights Middle School, 4000 Mink Street, Pataskala. Invitations to the event will go out the week of October 23.
“We look forward to opening our doors to the community on this special day,” LHMS social studies teacher Carla Smith said. The program at the middle school began well over a decade ago with students bringing their Veterans for coffee and donuts in the library. “Each year we have added something new to make it not only better, but more meaningful. It truly is an intergenerational event, bringing people of all experiences and backgrounds together to learn from one another.”
Veterans will begin arriving around 8 a.m. where they will be greeted by students and enjoy coffee, donuts and fellowship. They will also have an opportunity to visit a photo booth and get a personalized picture and frame to commemorate the day.
After breakfast, Veterans will be escorted to the auditorium for a program that includes posting of the colors, student performances from the district's award-winning band and choir, a Q and A session with those in attendance and special recognition of our Veterans.
Still a big component of the program is showcasing letters of gratitude from the students, Smith said. All students, within their social studies classes, write a thank you letter to a Veteran. The best of these is read in-person and the rest are bundled with a ribbon and distributed to Veterans in attendance to thank them for service to country.
“I think that veterans will enjoy listening to the letters written to them from the students,” NJHS Vice President Naomi Gyimah said. “The letters of appreciation handwritten by students are sure to make some veterans smile and feel appreciated.”