Butler County school to honor veterans

The three Butler County school districts will celebrate Veterans Day in a variety of ways.

Twin Rivers R-X and Poplar Bluff R-I will have events Thursday. Neelyville R-IV will hold its veterans’ program Friday.

All three campuses in Twin Rivers will hold events.

The first activity will begin Thursday at Fisk, a second program will be at Qulin and high school students at Broseley will have special presentations during the day.

Fisk

Fisk is inviting veterans to come for breakfast beginning at 7:45 a.m. Thursday, said Fisk Principal Leean Mann.

After breakfast, students will interview the veterans before the 8:30 a.m. assembly.

During the assembly, “the students will perform the White Table ceremony,” Mann said.

The table is set to honor the men and women who served in America’s armed forces and are missing from the ranks. The white cloth symbolizes the purity of their motives when answering the call of duty. A single plate is placed, waiting to give strength and healing.

Superintendent Dr. Ben Johnson will read the information while the students place the items on the table.

Anyone who wants to attend is welcome. Any veteran who is planning to come is asked to call Fisk at 573-967-3607 so organizers may get information ahead of time.

Qulin

Qulin students will have a Veterans Day Assembly at 1:30 p.m. Thursday at the Lion’s Club Pavilion in Qulin.

The assembly will be student-led by the middle school students and the middle school student council.

The guest speaker will be First Sgt. Doug Ledbetter.

Principal Seth McBroom said the program will be at the pavilion because “our gym floor is being replaced. The weather is supposed to be fairly decent this week.”

“Veterans Day is such an important day,” McBroom said. “It’s great our students are leading the program and understand that it’s an important day for our country.

“We’re very proud of our students, and the work they have put in so far for the program.”

Poplar Bluff

Veterans Day events Thursday planned by Poplar Bluff students include being creative during the COVID pandemic.

“In the past, some of our buildings, including O’Neal, the middle school and junior high, have hosted school-wide assemblies honoring veterans, but since guests on campus have been limited, these are some of the creative ways our schools are still managing to honor our servicemen and women, while we work through the health crisis,” said district communications/marketing director Tim Krakowiak.

The kindergarten center will create cards in Fawn Luecke’s art class to be delivered to the John J. Pershing VA Medical Center.

The middle school will host a parade for veterans only in vehicles to drive through the campus with guests watching the parade on the PBMS Facebook Page. Veterans will be greeted by the Poplar Bluff High School SHO-ME Marching Band, JROTC and the middle school student body. Veterans are asked to RSVP to participate in the parade by calling 573-785-5566 and asking to speak with a counselor.

The Poplar Bluff High School social studies department is also putting together an Honor Wall recognizing those who served and have ties to the campus community.

Poplar Bluff High School Teacher Kim Clark said if you would like to recognize a veteran, there are a few ways you can do so. First, ask one of the social studies students to get the information and a picture, and then they can fill out the form.

Keep in mind the veteran does not have to be a graduate of PBHS, she said. This can be a spouse, father/mother-in-law, grandparents, or others.

“We are wanting to honor as many veterans as possible,” Clark said.

Clark teaches American government, criminal justice, and contemporary issues.

Neelyville

The Neelyville veterans’ program will begin at 9 a.m. Friday in the Neelyville High School gym with veterans asked to arrive at 8:45 a.m.

Superintendent Debra Parish said, “We typically use the theme of the year from the Daughters of the American Revolution. This year it is ‘Rise and Shine For Our Veterans.’”

“Neelyville has the annual Veterans’ Day program to provide opportunities for our students to learn about our past, make connections to their learning, and, most importantly, to honor the men and women who have served and currently serve our country in the military,” Parish said. “I am very proud of our school district for holding this event. It truly is one of my favorite days of the school year.”

This year, for the first time, Parish added, “we have two students who will be completing their ‘signing’ to join the U.S. Army at the program. Their recruiters will be in attendance.”

The program will be much like the school’s usual programs, with the students and staff singing, students performing readings, a poetry contest and an art contest, Parish said.

Parish explained this year, veterans and visitors will be seated on the floor level and the students in the bleachers, with performances, etc. on the stage.

“We are providing the extra space so we can better social distance,” she said. “We have a Hospitality Room after the program for the veterans and their families (including students in their families).”