Kerkstra Students Honor Veterans for Their Service

Americans took time out to honor veterans on Nov. 11, and some Oak Forest youngsters set aside time to honor those veterans that were closest to home—family members. 

During a 45-minute school-wide assembly on Nov. 9, students took to the stage in the school's gym for an emotional event that featured songs, speeches and more than a few tears.

“This is really emotional, it always is,” said Kerkstra principal Dr. Lori Leppert. “This is our thank you to our soldiers.”

Students from the school hit the stage after Leppert addressed the vets and thanked them for their service. On stage, students sang renditions of, “Yankee Doodle Dandy” and “You're a Grand Ol' Flag,” before stepping away from the stage to hand out flowers and hugs to their veterans.

“We don't mark this day as a day of victory,” Leppert told the crowd. “We mark this day as a day to remember those who made victory possible.”

After presenting their family members with flowers, students closed out the event with a rendition of “What a Wonderful World.”

At the end of the assembly, students dutifully filed out of the gym and back to their classrooms to share their schooling with their vets.