Knox Schools Celebrate
Veterans Day

Students from the Holston Middle School jazz band play during a Veterans Day celebration on Nov. 12, 2018.

Monday was marked by flags, bands and parades at many Knox County schools, as students and teachers celebrated the Veterans Day holiday.

At Holston Middle School, the Veterans Day program included performances by chorus and band students, as well as remarks from featured speaker Marine Sergeant Paul G. Hibben III.

Principal Katie Lutton said the event is a popular one for family members who have a student at Holston, and that in years past it has also been attended by veterans who have no connection to the school.

Lutton said the program helps students see the real-life ways that veterans have put themselves in harm’s way for the benefit of others, and gives students a sense of pride in the music that they perform.

“It’s just been consistently a special event that our music teachers have put on,” she said. “We’re very proud of having it each year.”

At Pleasant Ridge Elementary School, students marched in a parade through the hallways, accompanied by veterans from their families. Other students lined the corridors, waving American flags and chanting “U-S-A” as the parade passed them.

Assistant principal Amelia Baker said Pleasant Ridge created the parade last year, and it was a hit with students and their families.

The festivities begin the week before the holiday, as students create tribute posters and a Gallery of Honor in the front entryway, and this year the school added a dance in the gym to cap off the parade.

“Pleasant Ridge has a long history of celebrating veterans, and each year we look for opportunities not only to show our appreciation and admiration for the many community members who have served our country but also to reinforce the ideals of respect, responsibility, and community pride that we work on every day,” Baker said. “We believe community celebrations like this are just as critical to our students' education as they are to the health of our Pleasant Ridge community.”