Across the Mahopac Central School District, students and staff came together for Veterans Day to honor and recognize the service of military veterans in unique and heartfelt ways.
A special lesson on the meaning of service and sacrifice came to life for Lakeview first graders when Robert Kearns, a Navy veteran, visited Mary Christos and Noelle Saracco’s classroom to share his experiences with students. The visit was especially meaningful as Kearns’s son, Grant, is a student in the class. Kearns brought a collection of photographs and military memorabilia with him, offering the first graders a tangible connection to the stories he shared. Through these items, the students learned about what it means to serve in the military, the responsibilities of a veteran, and the values of courage, respect and duty. At the end of the visit, the students presented Kearns with thank-you cards.
Austin Road third graders in Jordan Katz and Brett Schmitt’s classes hosted Captain Chris Roberto, a Mahopac alumnus who attended the United States Military Academy at West Point. Roberto spoke to students about the importance of Veterans Day, gave a presentation of the six branches of the armed forces and at the conclusion offered a question-and-answer session.
“Our students really enjoyed meeting Captain Roberto,” Katz said. “My entire class was so enamored with the presentation that they all went up to him and asked for his autograph afterwards."
In the middle school, sixth graders from Madison Lee-Haight’s class wrote thoughtful letters to veterans in recognition of their service for Veterans Day. Students had the choice of writing to either a friend or family member, a veteran in the middle school or a close friend of Lee-Haight’s who had served.
