VERNON, Connecticut – The students at Vernon’s Maple Street School have again won the annual Superintendent’s Challenge by creating the most hand-made cards for local veterans to mark Veterans Day.
Students created 251 cards, the most per capita in the district. In total Vernon students created 1,449 cards for veterans. For several years, Vernon Superintendent Dr. Joseph P. Macary has issued the challenge to students to create cards to honor our nation’s veterans. The cards are distributed through local organizations at the Veterans Home and Hospital in Rocky Hill.
“Helping our students develop an understanding of Veterans Day and an appreciation of the service of our veterans is important,” Dr. Macary said. “The students at Maple Street School have done a great job over the past several years and I am looking forward to congratulating them.” Dr. Macary will honor those students at 1 p.m. Friday, Veterans Day, at Maple Street School, 20 Maple St. Local veterans have been invited.
Veterans Day falls on November 11th each year, and marks the armistice that ended World War I on November 11th, 1918. The holiday, initially called Armistice Day, was created in 1919.
Schools were in session on Armistice Day because school and community leaders understood that the best way to convey the somber meaning of the day was to have children in school. The holiday was renamed Veterans Day in 1954, and eventually schools closed on the holiday.
In 1995, the legislature changed the law to allow Connecticut schools to be in session on Veterans Day if there were programs about veterans. Vernon has opted to be open on Veterans Day for several years.