Schools honor veterans in ceremonies large, small

Those who served in Americas military will be honored this week by Flathead Valley elementary, junior high and high school students as they offer up unique Veterans Day observances.

The national commemoration on Friday will be stretched across a couple of days to accommodate school schedules. Some districts do not hold class on Friday.

Here is the lineup of observances on Thursday and Friday:

Thursday

Whitefish

Whitefish High School Student Council members present their Veterans Day observance at 1:10 p.m. on Thursday.

Two guest speakers will highlight the hourlong program. Bill Leonard, a Vietnam veteran, and Pete Akey, who returned on Sunday from Iraq, will address the ideas of patriotism and service to country.

Patriotic musical selections by the high school band and chorus will be featured.

Veterans valleywide are invited to attend in uniform.

Lakeside

All veterans and service members in the area are invited to the Lakeside Elementary Veterans Day Remembrance at 2:30 p.m. Thursday in the school gym.

Each one is encouraged to attend in uniform, and share any memorabilia they would like to bring.

Fair-Mont-Egan

Elementary students and teachers at Fair-Mont-Egan will observe Veterans Day on Thursday.

Several area veterans have been invited to visit the school and spend time in individual classrooms sharing their memories. Following that, the whole school will join for an assembly.

Friday

Columbia Falls

Continuing a long-honored tradition, Honor Society students at Columbia Falls High School will present their annual program on Friday.

Bob Siegfried of Kalispell, a retired U.S. Air Force two-star general, will speak at the 10 a.m. ceremony in the school gym. He will address the programs theme, Why is Veterans Day Important? and talk about some of his experiences in the military.

Siegfried, a U.S. Air Force Academy graduate, spent the first part of career as a pilot flight instructor in B-52 bombers and combat rescue helicopters. He served the last half of his career in logistics.

The program is open to the public, with a contingent of Montana Veterans Home residents as honored guests.

Winners of the local elementary school essay contest will share their writings on the importance of Veterans Day.

U.S. Army representatives will present colors this year. The high schools wind ensemble and choir will provide musical selections.

Seating begins at 9:30 a.m.

For more information, contact Columbia Falls High School at 892-6500.

Bigfork

Junior-class English students have been interviewing veterans and writing oral histories for Bigforks annual assembly on Friday.

It begins at 11:15 a.m. in the Bigfork High School gym, where the public is welcome to share in honoring veterans as well as Gold Star mothers who have lost a child in

military conflict. Invitations went out to families, but anybody missed is encouraged to attend.

The students will present oral histories from six veterans of World War II, Korea, Vietnam and Iraq. Photographs and memorabilia from these veterans will be on display in the lobby. The students work was completed over the past academic quarter as part of the Montana Heritage Project.

All veterans are invited.

Swan Valley Youth Academy will post and retrieve colors. Master of ceremonies will be Aftan Snyder, one of the junior English students. Band director Doug Peters will lead the high school band and choir director Michael Perez will lead the select womens ensemble.

Refreshments prepared by Pam Willisons family and consumer sciences students will be served following the program.

Cayuse Prairie

All military veterans and community members are invited to join first- through eighth-graders in a Veterans Day assembly at 1:30 p.m. Friday in the school gym.

Veterans from the community have been invited to speak. Music and a short video presentation are planned.

Cake and coffee will be served following the program.

Smith Valley

Students will wearing red, white and blue for the 9 a.m. Veterans Day program at Smith Valley School on Friday.

Music students will present a special program in the school gym.

Visitors are asked to park in the lot behind the school.

Evergreen

All students at Evergreen Junior High will watch the Jennifer Love Hewitt presentation, The American Veteran.

The video highlights the sacrifices made by U.S. veterans past and present. It also highlights youth volunteer opportunities with the Veterans Administration Voluntary Service.