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| HMMS band led by Ms. Nicole Wright |
Thanks to the HMMS music teachers and students, the ambiance was perfect. The strings quintet and band provided just the right mood.
The Student Council met our visiting veterans at the door, gave them a tour of the building, and conducted a brief interview. It warmed our hearts to see the generations connect in such a meaningful way. Mary's daughter was lucky enough to get to meet and interview a Korean War veteran, and she repeatedly referred to him as "my veteran." So sweet.
We'd encouraged students to dress up or wear red, white, and blue the day of the assembly. The Community Service Club distributed yellow ribbons to all students and adults involved, giving us a unified look. They also wrapped UNBROKEN books in red, white, and blue ribbons. Tucked inside each book was a letter written by a member of the Student Council, thanking the service men and women for their work. These books were later presented to our visitors as gifts.
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| So much to love about this! |
The Student Council met our visiting veterans at the door, gave them a tour of the building, and conducted a brief interview. It warmed our hearts to see the generations connect in such a meaningful way. Mary's daughter was lucky enough to get to meet and interview a Korean War veteran, and she repeatedly referred to him as "my veteran." So sweet.
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| Sweet Anna with "her veteran" |
We'd encouraged students to dress up or wear red, white, and blue the day of the assembly. The Community Service Club distributed yellow ribbons to all students and adults involved, giving us a unified look. They also wrapped UNBROKEN books in red, white, and blue ribbons. Tucked inside each book was a letter written by a member of the Student Council, thanking the service men and women for their work. These books were later presented to our visitors as gifts.
As students and visitors filed in, the band played and we showed a slide show of HMMS students and teachers pictured with the veterans and active service members in their families. It was touching to see teachers with their parents, children - often much younger in the photo than they are now - with grandparents. It set the perfect tone.
When everyone was seated, Erin and Mary took to the podium to kick off the kickoff with these words:
When everyone was seated, Erin and Mary took to the podium to kick off the kickoff with these words:
"Welcome to the first day of All In! 2015. It’s only fitting that our official launch is happening the day before Veterans Day, giving us the opportunity to celebrate both Louie Zamperini, the heroic subject of Laura Hillenbrand’s book UNBROKEN, and the heroes of our community. Today, we welcome 15 Franklin veterans as well as Senator Karen Spilka, Senator Richard Ross, and Representative Jeff Roy.
On September 27, when Unbroken was announced as the book for All In 2015, Horace Mann students found themselves in an unexpected situation. There was no countdown, no assembly, no screaming audience, and no balloons. In fact, the craziness everyone expected of the crazy reading ladies was missing altogether. Thank you for forgiving us, and please allow us to explain.
Everything we do has always been about fun. It's fun to read a popular book with friends. It's fun to leave school and go see a movie. It's fun to leap into a recycling bin filled with shredded paper and go diving for dragon's eggs. The CRL are all about fun! And that's great, and we love it, and it works...but.
Sometimes you find yourself called to do something greater.
Life is all about choices. Our favorite literary characters teach us that. Katniss chose to save her sister; Bilbo chose an unexpected journey; Tris chose to be true to herself. When we chose UNBROKEN, we knew that it was going to be different. We knew that it was important...a story we and our students needed to hear. We also knew it was an undertaking far greater than any we'd attempted before.
Sitting before us are the students who read The Hobbit as 6th graders, proving teachers, principals, and literacy experts wrong. They said it was too hard. You taught us to never, ever under-estimate you.
Sitting to our left are 7th graders who conquered a 500-page text in their 6th grade year and led this school on a march that shattered All In!’s participation records and brought us our biggest year yet. They said we couldn't fill six busses. You helped us prove them wrong.
And to out right sit our newest recruits. Students who have never before gone All In!, yet signed up anyway. You know not what this experience will require of you, but neither did our hero Louie Zamperini.
What is a hero? A hero is a person who puts others before themselves, like Katniss. A person who pushes on despite their fear, like Bilbo. A person who acts on their convictions, like Tris. A hero is a person like Louis Zamperini...someone who maintains a positive attitude even in the most negative situations and never, ever, ever gives up.
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| You can almost see her whole face! |
The Student Council representatives then took the microphone to introduce "their" veterans. Please take a moment to digest what these remarkable young people did. Not only did they serve as ambassadors for the school and welcome our visitors, they also conducted interviews and turned their notes into formal verbal introductions presented to an auditorium packed with people. And half of them could barely see over the podium!
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| Representative Jeff Roy is going All In! |
State Senators Richard Ross and Karen Spilka addressed the crowd, encouraging them to find ways to recognize the service of veterans and urging them to read the book. Representative Jeff Roy inspired our young crowd with the following:
"Books can change your life. What others have written and said is more the heart of who we are and the way we are, than many of us could imagine.
And books are always accessible. In fact did you know that there are more public libraries than McDonald’s in the United States? In fact, there are 17,000 libraries, compared to 14,000 McDonald’s. I have nothing against McDonald’s – I like a Big Mac every now and then myself -- but the food for thought available in libraries is much more satisfying."
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| Introducing the dramatic reading |
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| 2012 Hunger Games co-victor |
Three Student Council representatives asked their adviser if they could write poems to present at the assembly. We didn't see or hear the poems before they were read to a crowd of 500 plus. These young ladies handled themselves with such poise!
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| White Cliffs and three words |
When the Milford Daily News reporter's questions were answered and the auditorium was empty, Mary turned to Erin and said, "That could have been the worst assembly we've ever managed or the best. I honestly don't know. I was just in 'get-it-done' mode." Judging from the comments we've received since, we've decided it belongs in the "best" category.
And it wasn't one minute after the stage cleared before someone said, "I don't know how you're going to top this next year!"
Well, it's not the fist time we've heard that.
There'll be bluebirds over
The white cliffs of Dover
Tomorrow just you wait and see.
There'll be love and laughter
And peace ever after
Tomorrow, when the world is free.
A salute to our proud veterans and their families, who are tasked to carry out their legacy. All of them should get the benefits and assistance that will most befit them, and do so easily and instantly. There are varied ways, in which that can be made available to them. Access is one, with guaranteed support structure. Thanks for sharing that!
ReplyDeleteVictoria Pierce @ Jan Dils