Hometown Brandon - Winter 2015

The CHALKBOARD
Brandon Elementary school Lisa Hudson, Principal
Patriotism
“True patriotism springs from a belief in the dignity of the individual,
freedom and equality—not only for Americans but for all people on earth,
universal brotherhood and good will, and a constant and earnest striving
toward the principles and ideals on which this country was founded.”
~ Eleanor Roosevelt
We have had a wonderful fall at Brandon Elementary with a
strong focus on patriotism. Students are studying our nation’s
history through reading, writing, social studies and music.
During our reading and social studies lessons,
we have discovered many new things about the lives
of Native Americans. The students were able to
research the interactions between the Native
Americans and early explorers. They gained an
understanding of the cause and effect relationships
between the Native Americans and early explorers
by writing about their bravery and heartache.
Students then progressed into studying the contributions
of George Washington, Patrick Henry,
Samuel Adams, and Paul Revere. They were
comparing and contrasting the loyalists and the
patriots. We have seen that these men and others are the framers of
our nation. Boys and girls have realized that substantial sacrifices
were made to establish this influential country. Historical documents
such as the Gettysburg Address, the Preamble, and The Constitution
have come alive during class time.
Students, wearing their red, white, and blue, were treated to a
Veteran’s Day Ceremony. Our Brandon High School Color Guard
presented the flags while the students were at attention. Candy Lee
Dobbs sang the National Anthem, joined by all students. Our guest
speaker was Sergeant First Class Les Stapp, a member of the 113th
Military Police Company here in Brandon. He shared with the
boys and girls what it was like to be a soldier during his three tours
of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq. He spoke of bravery. He spoke of
fear. He spoke of sacrifice. Brandon Elementary students whose
parents are in the military were recognized and Sergeant Stapp
told the group, “These students are the real heroes”. He and his
wife live in Brandon with their two sons, Aaron and Justin, who
are Brandon students.
To add to the day’s events, our Brandon Elementary HALO
group, a selected group of students who focus on service projects for
our school, organized “Pennies for a Purpose”. Students dropped
their change (and a few dollars) into a collection jug. All
proceeds went to the organization, Wreaths Across America.
With our donation, Wreaths Across America will purchase
wreaths for Mississippi Veterans Memorial Cemetery in
Newton, Mississippi.
Our 4th grade music program, “Americana Showcase” was
a delight. Students learned several famous patriotic tunes such
as “The Star Spangled Banner”, “America, the Beautiful”, and
a few new songs including “The Bells of Freedom”, “God Bless
America”, and “This Is My Country”. The program included
a recitation of the Gettysburg Address and audience singing
participation in paying tribute to our country. With a large
fourth grade class, the program was divided into four performances
with close to 100 singers each performance. The
cafeteria was packed for each performance with parents,
grandparents, family, friends and community leaders. Seeing
the audience clapping and singing along with pride in their
child and in our nation validates that patriotism unites us.
We love our school, community, state and nation. ■
Hometown Brandon • 77