Garfield students learn about their connections to military

Olympia’s Garfield Elementary School has many connections to the Armed Forces.

The nearly 325-student school on Olympia’s west side has several parents, teachers and staff members who have served or have spouses in the military, according to principal Brendon Chertok.

Garfield invited veterans to be honored during a special assembly Friday morning, in advance of Veterans Day, which is Wednesday.

“I think it’s great when you get recognized by the community,” said Garfield parent Ray Lee, who was in the Army for five years. “It shows that people care. I’m proud to have served.”

“This is a big event at Garfield,” Chertok said.

After an hourlong assembly that featured students performing patriotic songs and talking about the meaning of the holiday, several veterans read books to children in their classrooms. They included stories about peace, the Vietnam memorial wall in Washington, D.C., and one about a military member coming home from a deployment, said organizer Erin Rogan, who is with the Washington Reading Corps.

Garfield also had special decorations on display for the event, including a giant red heart that was made from paper cutouts of every student’s hand print and a display of the names of veterans who have a connection to the school.

“I just hope (students) see that veterans are right in their own community,” said Rogan, whose husband is in the Army. “They’re our dads. They’re our moms. They’re our brothers and sisters.”

Fifth-grader Myles Johnson said he enjoyed the assembly. He said he thinks most kids understand why they won’t have school Wednesday.

“It means honoring the fallen veterans that defended our country and our nation and lost their lives in battle,” Johnson said. “And it means honoring my dad’s dad who fought in the Korean War, and honoring my cousin who is still in the Army and fighting for freedom, just as we speak, probably.”

This story was originally published November 6, 2015 at 3:13 PM with the headline "Garfield students learn about their connections to military."