LPOSD students, staff honor area veterans

SANDPOINT – Honoring the community’s veterans is a longstanding tradition in the Lake Pend Oreille School District. This Veterans Day is no different.

Starting today, schools throughout the district will pay tribute to veterans with various events, ranging from musical performances to assemblies and flag-raising ceremonies.

For years, LPOSD has paid tribute to those who have served in the armed forces. The importance of these events was seen when the administration still found ways to pay tribute during the height of the pandemic. At Sandpoint High School, a tribute video of vets continued the tradition in 2020. And, in 2021, Lake Pend Oreille High School hosted vets to give speeches and talks.

Joining many other school events in getting back on track post-pandemic, the celebrations will kick off with Sandpoint Middle School. Multiple days this week, students at SMS in the student news class will have the opportunity to interview four to six veterans who will be visiting the school. In addition, the entire student body will have the chance to win the “What Veterans’ Day Means to Me” essay contest with first place earning a season pass to Schweitzer. The winning essay and interviews will be edited into a finished project that will be shown to students, who will then reflect on another writing project.

Clark Fork Jr./Sr. High School Is getting in on the action today by hosting a “Track Day,” an event aimed at bringing the community together for an outreach and clean-up service day. Students from both schools will be going out into the community and offering clean-up services, including the VFW in Clark Fork throughout the entire day.

Also, today, starting at 9 a.m., at Hope Elementary a select group of students will present the colors in a flag ceremony which will be followed by a musical performance. The students will showcase their veteran pride with various songs honoring not only various branches of the military but the country.

Thursday, Nov. 10, Farmin Stidwell and Southside elementary will pay respects with assemblies. Farmin Stidwell invites local veterans for refreshments and a conversation hour starting at 9:15 a.m. to be followed by the Veterans Day program. The program will feature a guest speaker talking about the holiday’s importance, a musical performance from third through sixth grade, and finally, the local Girl Scout troop will present the flags. At Southside, family, friends, and local veterans are invited to watch a musical performance by third and fifth graders who will be accompanied by a veterans’ presentation and followed by refreshments.

Finally, Friday, the official holiday, will be a busy day in the district with six schools hosting celebrations. Sagle Elementary will start the day bright and early offering refreshments at 8:30 a.m. before the school assembly begins at 9 a.m. The entire program will feature the pledge of allegiance, a flag ceremony by Sagle scouts, and a musical performance from the fifth and sixth graders. Finally, a surprise guest will visit to give a presentation and take photos.

At Sandpoint High School the student council has planned an event for veterans to attend and enjoy. The council has invited local veterans for a musical performance and breakfast. At precisely 9:10 a.m. the “Veteran Welcome” will begin in the SHS library. Gathering by 9:27 a.m., the veterans will then be escorted to the gym to watch the SHS Women’s Performing Choir and an SHS sign language interpreter perform the “Star Spangled Banner”, followed by a presentation from a veteran speaker and another musical performance from the SHS band.

Later in the day starting at 1:15 p.m. Washington Elementary will have refreshments for Veterans which will lead to a musical performance, a flag ceremony, and the pledge of allegiance to be led by Boy Scouts Troop No. 111.

Kootenai Elementary will join the celebrations at 1:30 p.m. with a music performance and the fourth-grade students leading the school in a Veteran’s Day program.

At Northside Elementary the school will host its program from 1:15-2 p.m. The entire 3rd-6th class will come together to sing the National Anthem. Then each class will sing one of the five military branch songs in the Armed Services Medley and a patriotic song. To finish the day the 3rd-6th students once again together sing the finale song, "I Love America".

Lake Pend Oreille High School has chosen a different approach to Veterans Day. The advisory classes will spend the end of Friday designing invitations and crafting interview questions for veterans who will visit on Nov. 30.