Little Britain Elementary School honors veterans during annual breakfast

Student drawings of American flags and eagles with messages of gratitude lined the walkway leading into Little Britain Elementary School, welcoming veterans and their loved ones to the annual Veteran’s Day breakfast. Thursday morning’s event welcomed attendees with an arrangement of musical performances by the West Point Brass Quintet.

Fifth grader Alara Seiferheld was the master of ceremonies for the event, welcoming and thanking the veterans once they settled in. She then introduced Debra Zupko’s second grade class, who led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance, which they also signed.

Afterwards, music teacher Devin Cassidy’s fourth and fifth grade chorus took the stage to sing each of the branches' fight songs for the audience before they dined. 

An array of breakfast items and baked goods were displayed for guests to enjoy throughout the morning, such as danishes and cookies. While they ate, the West Point Brass Quintet performed America the Beautiful as Principal Dr. Christopher Barrie personally thanked the soldiers for their service. 

The Little Britain Parent Teacher Organization honored fallen soldiers with the Missing Man Table, which represented the emotions and feelings for those who did not come home. Each item on the table symbolizes hope and empathy for those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Dr. Barrie then took the podium to address the crowd, before introducing a couple of students who read their Veterans Day essays to the audience.

“I am proud to be part of a wonderful school community here at Little Britain,” said Dr. Barrie. “One of the things that drew me to work here was all of you. The opportunity to give back in a small way by fostering a successful and inclusive school community, especially for our military children. Today we gather to honor and celebrate our veterans, the courageous men and women who served our country.” 

Fourth grade students Grace Nyulassy, Owen O’Banion and Mikayla Campbell and fifth graders Gianna Thurston, Ayden Woods and AnnaMaria Dutescu went up to the podium one by one to read their essays to the audience. Students wrote about what Veterans Day means to them and what they can do to give back to their community and those that served. 

The morning concluded with more thank yous and one last performance from the West Point Brass Quintet, who played each of the branch's service songs before the crowd went outside for a flag ceremony from the WIndsor Color Guard. 

“I was here last year, and it’s a fantastic celebration that they have honoring the veterans,” said Matthew Brown, Retired Full Colonel with the United States Army. “I think the school does a fantastic job of mingling the parents, the grandparents or whoever has served and bringing them together for a great function”

Click here to view the photo gallery from the day!