Polo grade school students sing and smile their thanks to veterans

POLO – Centennial Elementary School students let veterans know how much they are appreciated through their song and smiles during their Veteran’s Day program on Monday.

Students from kindergarten to fifth grade sang patriotic-themed songs as veterans from all branches of service, and members of the public, filled the school’s gymnasium for the early afternoon event.

Under the direction of Jordann Fishman, kindergarteners started the singing portion of the program with a “Thank You Soldiers” followed by first graders singing “Thankful for the U.S.A”. Second graders sang “All-American, Me and You” followed by the third graders’s “On Veterans Day”, the fourth graders’s “Mighty United”, and the fifth grade performing “A Grateful Nation”.

That set the stage for the event’s guest speaker — Master Sergeant Becky Jo Davis of Polo.

“When you see our flag, think of our veterans and their families,” Davis told the crowd. “This is a soft spot for me. Their love and support make everything possible. Veterans come from all walks of lives, different places and different backgrounds. But what we all share in common is to support and defend the constitution of the United States.”

Davis, a 1995 graduate of Polo High School, joined the Air Force and served as a Medical Laboratory Technician, testing for biological agents after 9/11. She then trained to become an Egress Systems Technician. During her 20 years of service she was deployed to Guam, Kuwait, and South Korea. She met her husband, Andrew, while they both were in technical school at Sheppard Air Force Base.

“One of the strongest symbols for me as a veteran is the American flag. It’s not just a piece of cloth. It is a reminder of what we stand for and the sacrifices made to keep us free,” she said. “Veterans sacrifice a lot – a lot of time with family, a lot of comfort, and sometimes even their lives. When you see a flag let it remind you of those countless acts of service by veterans throughout history. So please stand tall when our flag passes by.”

She asked audience members to continue to appreciate veterans and their families.

“We fought for freedoms like freedom of speech...which I do a lot,” she said laughing. “Honoring veterans is also about how we live everyday, by showing kindness, helping each other and working together. Let’s remember we each have a role to play in making our community better, just like veterans have a roll to play in protecting our country.”

The program concluded a slide show projected on a big screen that featured active and retired veterans with short bios about their service and how they were related to Centennial students and staff.