Lower School Honors Veterans Day With Ceremony and Personal Reflections

St. Margaret’s Lower School community gathered this week to honor Veterans Day with a ceremony celebrating the men and women who have served in the U.S. armed forces.

Held beneath the flagpoles adjacent to the Darcy Rice Center for the Arts, the gathering featured music performed by St. Margaret’s band and choir, student readings and prayers recognizing the service and sacrifice of military members. Parents who have served also shared personal reflections and stories from their time in the armed forces. Madison McSpedon, Grade 2 co-teacher, offered heartfelt reflections and spoke with admiration about her husband, who is currently serving as a Marine in Okinawa.

As another way to show appreciation, each class participated in honoring our nation’s veterans by decorating boxes and writing heartfelt letters of gratitude. The boxes were filled with candy and shared with veterans, with some shipped overseas and others delivered to the Long Beach VA Medical Center.

The celebration continued throughout the day with opportunities for students to hear directly from members of the St. Margaret’s community. Grade 1 students welcomed veteran and active-duty parents Shawn Collins, Mark Strickert and Ty Daniels for a conversation about their military experiences. Grade 4 students also heard from veteran parents Casey and Lara Roberts, Sean Hinze, and Tom and Lydia Shapiro, who shared their perspectives on military service.

Through music, reflection and firsthand stories, the Veterans Day observance gave Lower School students an opportunity to recognize the dedication of those who serve and to develop a deeper appreciation for the contributions and sacrifices of veterans and military families.