Schools

Veterans Thanked, Honored at Middle School

LaSalle Springs Middle School students invited family and friends who are veterans to an assembly. Almost 50 came.

Some teachers at LaSalle Springs Middle School thought their students were missing a huge lesson.

“The opportunity to thank a veteran, to me was the biggest history lesson,” eighth-grade history teacher Rhonda Kloeppel said.

So Kloeppel, and fellow teachers Bergen Toth and Andria Angelo, last year, organized the school’s first effort to invite as many neighbors, family and friends of our students and staff who are veterans. They had a good turnout, and nearly doubled it this year. Forty-eight veterans came to the school to be thanked.

Find out what's happening in Eureka-Wildwoodwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"That was our goal," Kloeppel said, "to get as many veterans here as possible to thank them."

“We think it's really important for our students to understand about patriotism, and about what our veterans have given to our country,” principal Debbie Brandt said. “They've had curricular lessons related to the Veterans Day assembly, so they got really involved in asking friends and family to come.”

Find out what's happening in Eureka-Wildwoodwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The band played marches as the veterans filed in down the center isle. Signs above packed bleachers thanked them for their service. Every face watched them enter. After Boy Scouts from LaSalle’s Troop 864 brought in U.S. and Missouri flags and led the pledge, Brandt welcomed the veterans.

A student-produced video continued the theme, then Staff Sergeant Matt Frederickson, who is also director of curriculum for Rockwood School District, spoke. He told about the Army’s Warrior Ethos, which is:

  • I will always put mission first.
  • I will never accept defeat.
  • I will never quit.
  • I will never leave a fallen comrade.

He spoke about each point and related it to the students’ lives.

Sixth-grader Ben Zerler got the message of the day. “It feels good that they can actually come here and we can actually see them, instead of just looking at pictures of them. We can actually have them talk, here in front of us.”

“The veterans helped us in keeping freedom in our country,” he said. “Keeping the things we take for granted. I think most of the school got the message.”


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Eureka-Wildwood