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News & Photos
Students Honor Veterans Personally
Dear Lt. Col.
My name is Alexis. I attend McDonogh School in eighth grade. We celebrate Memorial Day by gathering in Memorial Court while Mr. Grega tells a story about a solder who died in war. When he tells the stories, it reminds me that the casualties were actual people; people who were fathers, sons, brothers, friends, and loved ones.
I am reminded that those casualties are not just numbers, they are lives. I know it is easy to forget these things, or the things these people went through. Knowing this, I know also that I can’t say that everything will be alright, because I know that isn’t true.
But I do know that war happened, and the people surviving that war need to be remembered for their courage and love of their country. Besides remembering them, there is not much more to say besides two words that could never sum up all of the courage it took to fight: thank you. I don’t know if you fought in a battle, but I know any service took courage, so thank you. I appreciate your courage and service to our country.
Sincerely,
Alexis
Alexis was one of dozens of students in kindergarten through grade 11 who made the school's annual Memorial Day ceremony more personal. Together they wrote letters and made cards for 80 living alumni/ae who have served or are serving in the military.
The students thanked these men and women--from the classes of 1933 to 1999--for their sacrifice.
Recipients have begun to express their gratitude for the students' thoughtful gestures.
The letter-writing idea arose after history teacher Bridget Collins ’90 invited George Wills ’54 to help teach her U.S. History class. Wills described a childhood memory of headmaster Doc Lamborn calling all of the cadets to Eddie’s Gym and reading out the names of the McDonogh boys who had died during the D-Day invasion.
"It got me thinking that the meaning of true courage and sacrifice for one's country was so tangible for those students. For my U.S. History students, casualties are just numbers we write in our notes about wars. I want to make it real for them,” said Collins.
Other history teachers picked up on the idea, as did some in the lower divisions.
Said a kindergarten teacher of the initiative, “My hope is that it will bring concrete meaning for our littlest students as to why we have the memorial service. In the past they just knew that it was a time they had to be quiet and stand for a long time. I want to help them to get at the deeper meaning behind the service."
The letter-writing effort is yet another example of McDonogh’s emphasis on character education. In corresponding with veterans, students reflected on the nature of service, a tenet at the core of the school’s values, symbolized by its place at the heart of the school’s new moral compass.
In addition, students gained a broader perspective on the significance of the occasion. As one third grader remarked as she wrote her letter, “this Memorial Day is special.”
Dear Lt. Col.
My name is Alexis. I attend McDonogh School in eighth grade. We celebrate Memorial Day by gathering in Memorial Court while Mr. Grega tells a story about a solder who died in war. When he tells the stories, it reminds me that the casualties were actual people; people who were fathers, sons, brothers, friends, and loved ones.
I am reminded that those casualties are not just numbers, they are lives. I know it is easy to forget these things, or the things these people went through. Knowing this, I know also that I can’t say that everything will be alright, because I know that isn’t true.
But I do know that war happened, and the people surviving that war need to be remembered for their courage and love of their country. Besides remembering them, there is not much more to say besides two words that could never sum up all of the courage it took to fight: thank you. I don’t know if you fought in a battle, but I know any service took courage, so thank you. I appreciate your courage and service to our country.
Sincerely,
Alexis
Alexis was one of dozens of students in kindergarten through grade 11 who made the school's annual Memorial Day ceremony more personal. Together they wrote letters and made cards for 80 living alumni/ae who have served or are serving in the military.
The students thanked these men and women--from the classes of 1933 to 1999--for their sacrifice.
Recipients have begun to express their gratitude for the students' thoughtful gestures.
The letter-writing idea arose after history teacher Bridget Collins ’90 invited George Wills ’54 to help teach her U.S. History class. Wills described a childhood memory of headmaster Doc Lamborn calling all of the cadets to Eddie’s Gym and reading out the names of the McDonogh boys who had died during the D-Day invasion.
"It got me thinking that the meaning of true courage and sacrifice for one's country was so tangible for those students. For my U.S. History students, casualties are just numbers we write in our notes about wars. I want to make it real for them,” said Collins.
Other history teachers picked up on the idea, as did some in the lower divisions.
Said a kindergarten teacher of the initiative, “My hope is that it will bring concrete meaning for our littlest students as to why we have the memorial service. In the past they just knew that it was a time they had to be quiet and stand for a long time. I want to help them to get at the deeper meaning behind the service."
The letter-writing effort is yet another example of McDonogh’s emphasis on character education. In corresponding with veterans, students reflected on the nature of service, a tenet at the core of the school’s values, symbolized by its place at the heart of the school’s new moral compass.
In addition, students gained a broader perspective on the significance of the occasion. As one third grader remarked as she wrote her letter, “this Memorial Day is special.”