Horace Mann's "Longest Serving" Veteran

We here at Horace Mann Elementary School believe it is important to teach our students about service to others and to the common good.  We do this in many ways, both formal and informal.  For many years, dating back to the days at McKinley Elementary, this school community has held a program to honor the men and women who served in our country's armed forces.

Our Veterans Day Assembly is a simple one, but it has plenty of heart.  Using patriotic music as a backdrop (thanks to our music teacher, Mr. Waryk), our 4th graders lead a program to recognize our students and their family members who have been in the military.

This year, our 4th grade leaders included Riley Robertson, Declan Ziegler and Colin Moss as readers and Grace Dawson, Nick Detmar, Riley Robertson, Lilly Nazario, Elijah Sok-Sepulveda and Annabelle McBride representing the Boy and Girl Scouts as our color guard.  They did a terrific job and seemed so comfortable in front of the 300 person audience :)

A sweet story shared by Mrs. Clare Rosser (mom of 5th grader Greydon Rosser) illustrated why this year was particularly special,

Ronald Rosser, a Navy veteran who served during the Vietnam years, has been honored at every Veterans Day program at Horace Mann Elementary School since the building converted from a middle school in 2008. He is the grandfather of Willow Rosser, a Horace Mann graduate and member of the first class to attend from kindergarten to fifth grade in the renovated Horace Mann building, and who is now a sophomore at Lakewood High. He is also the grandfather of Greydon Rosser, a current fifth grader at Horace Mann. Mr. Rosser has attended the program with a grandchild consecutively for 11 years.

                        Lakewood Schools has always done an excellent salute to Veterans, 

                        which I feel honored to have attended with my grandchildren. I thank 

                        the schools for hosting a terrific Veterans program,” says the proud 

                        grandfather and Navy Veteran.

As a new principal at Horace Mann, Mr. Rosser was instrumental in helping me understand how this assembly should go.  We are grateful he has driven almost 2 hours each way to be here with us for the program every November for so many years.  His smiling face and enthusiasm for our country will be missed!

Photo credit: Jenna Tabor