Hilltop Primary School hosted veteran guests at an assembly on Nov. 10, 2023.
Click on the above image for more photos from the day.

November 16, 2023 — Students throughout the Westonka School District celebrated Veterans Day on Nov. 10, honoring all those who have served our country in war or peace.

At Hilltop Primary School, Principal Mike Moch welcomed invited military veterans to a student assembly. “As part of the assembly, students greeted our veterans, sang the national anthem, shared what it means to be a veteran, and ended with songs about heroes and being thankful for our freedom,” said Moch. Veterans were able to visit classrooms and answer questions about what it means to be a veteran. 

Shirley Hills Primary School students honored veterans during their Grandfriends’ Day on Nov. 3. Classroom activities included discussions about what it means to be a veteran.

At Grandview Middle School, teachers integrated Veterans Day into the curriculum through selected videos, readings, and discussions. Many students wrote letters of appreciation through Operation Gratitude. “Students learn what a veteran is, what Veterans Day celebrates, and why it is important that we celebrate and honor veterans who are alive and those who have died,” said Principal Christy Zachow.

In what has become an annual tradition, the Veterans Day Wall of Honor was assembled and displayed at Mound Westonka High School in November. Students, staff, and parents were invited to submit stories of veterans in their families, which were hung as profile posters along the windows in the MWHS Student Commons. The wall now includes nearly 90 profiles.

“On this Veterans Day, we express our deepest gratitude for veterans’ sacrifices,” said Student Senate advisor Jamie Harms. “Their commitment inspires us all. Thank you, veterans, for your unwavering service.”