Grinnell Middle School students, staff honor area veterans

By .O. Parker
 
        Students, staff and family members packed the Grinnell Middle School gym to honor local and area veterans for their service and dedication in a special Veterans Day assembly on Friday, Nov. 11.
          The program opened with the presentation of colors by members of the Boy Scout Troop 313.
          The Star Spangled Banner was then performed by the eighth grade band.
        Rob Gibson, eighth grade Social Studies teacher at the middle school, then shared about the history of Veterans Day.
       This was followed by the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth grade choirs performing an Armed Forces Tribute. Veterans were asked to stand when their branch of service was called.
          The keynote speaker was U.S. Navy Veteran James Kaup of Grinnell.
          The sixth and seventh grade bands performed “Freedom Finale.”
         Following the retirement of colors by Boy Scout Troop 313, Tucker Adkins, an eighth grade student at the school, performed “Taps.”
       After the service, veterans and their family members were invited to the media center for a reception.
        “I felt the program was amazing and an outstanding tribute to the veterans in our community that have given so much in terms of their service to our country,” said Clay Harrold, GMS Principal. “The students and staff were honored to have the program back at GMS again after a few years without and we were thankful to all that could come and for everyone that participated in the assembly as well.”
       “It was such an honor to be a part of this event to celebrate the American Veteran,” said U.S. Navy Veteran Jame Kaup, the keynote speaker at the assembly. “The staff and students at Grinnell Middle School honored veterans in a beautiful way. The music, presentation of the colors and the words spoken were amazing and uplifting to the Veterans. Thank you for making us feel welcome and appreciated.”