State College kindergarten students learn about Veterans Day by making connections

For Janette Ortiz, a kindergarten teacher at Park Forest Elementary, Veterans Day is a particularly special holiday and on Friday she helped her students understand why.

Ortiz’s husband, Ricky Ortiz, was a medic in the U.S. Army for 10 years and stopped by Park Forest Elementary school to read students a story and answer questions about being a veteran. The raucous bunch of kindergartners gathered on the floor, asking why he was in the Army and if he used real Army tools and if he could answer any further questions in a silly voice.

Ortiz’s classroom was one of many across the district that celebrated the holiday by writing letters, packing care packages and hearing from veterans.

The focus of Veterans Day celebrations for the kindergartners is about the role of veterans and the importance of thanking them, Janette Ortiz said. Having veterans come in to meet the students can also help them connect Veterans Day with real members of the community.

“Something that’s important to me as an educator is that school is more than just this classroom or this building, it’s the community,” Janette Ortiz said. “So when we can have people come in from the community tied into a holiday or tied into a project we’re working on, it helps their reach go outside of the classroom.”

Fellow kindergarten teacher Lori Valent also had her class write letters and make poppies for her two sons who are veterans. Although the students can’t understand all the aspects of veterans and the roles they serve, celebrating and learning about the holiday is still important.

“I just want the kids to understand the sacrifices and to just say thank you,” Valent said.

Veterans Day celebrations in school can also help students make connections within their own families, Ricky Ortiz said.

“If you can educate somebody early or just plant the seed it branches out,” Ricky Ortiz said. “They’ll probably go home the same day and then they’ll ask Grandma a question about veterans.”

Some students already have personal connections to a veteran, like student Lucy Benner, whose father is a U.S. Navy veteran. When asked what Veterans Day means to her, Lucy had only one word.

“Love.”

This story was originally published November 11, 2022 at 4:27 PM.