NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Hoosac Valley Middle and High School students lined the hallways with handmade signs and artwork on Monday as they welcomed local veterans with applause, high-fives, and words of appreciation during the annual Veterans Day celebration.

 

Approximately 30 veterans from across Berkshire County, including members of American Legion posts in Adams, North Adams and Pittsfield, participated in the event, walking through hallways lined with more than 600 students eager to thank them for their service.

 

Now in its fifth year, the celebration has become a school tradition that brings together generations of community members and gives students a chance to connect with the people whose service helped shape the nation's history, school officials said. 

 

The event was organized with the help of Erica Girgenti, community and pathways coordinator, who brought the idea to the district after previously organizing Veterans Day activities for older adults.

 

"It's always really inspirational. It's such an important event for us. It brings a lot of civic engagement and awareness, and students are just so proud of the community," said High School Principal Colleen Byrd. 

 

In preparation for the event, students learned about Veterans Day and the importance of honoring those who served, while creating handmade signs, posters, and messages of gratitude.

 

Middle school students in art teacher Terri Cooper's class also created poppy-themed cards to present to the veterans.

 

"The atmosphere was palpable. I think you felt the excitement walking through the hallways, especially the couple of minutes getting ready to do the hallway walk," said Middle School Principal Dwayne Chamble. 

 

Before welcoming the veterans, students gathered their handmade projects to present to them, and as the veterans walked through the hallways, students' faces lit up with excitement and admiration, he said.

 

Retired Army Master Sgt. David Levesque said he first attended the event when his grandsons, Brayden and Mikey Durant, were students at Hoosac Valley.

 

He recalled the excitement on his grandsons' faces as they watched him and his veterans walk through the hallways. 

 

"It was great watching the faces of my grandsons and all the people, all the students, just seeing all the veterans walking by, looking at us wide-eyed," Levesque said.

 

The event aligns with the district's curriculum and Portrait of a Graduate competencies, which emphasize developing responsible citizens, effective communicators, critical thinkers, and lifelong learners, Girgenti said. 

 

By interacting directly with veterans, students gain a deeper understanding of the history they learn in the classroom while strengthening the district's Hurricane PRIDE values: perseverance, respect, integrity, diversity, and empathy, Superintendent Aaron Dean said. 

 

"It personalizes the curriculum. It gives them a chance to see that what they're learning impacted everybody in this country at one point in time, impacted families that they know, [and] families that they don't know," he said.

 

Connecting classroom lessons to the personal experiences of veterans helps students gain a deeper understanding of history while fostering a greater appreciation for what this country has, Dean said. 

 

"It's really heartwarming to see the community come together in this way … When you talk about Veterans Day, it makes it more personal," he said. 

 

The event brings multiple generations of veterans together and gives students an opportunity to interact with and recognize the veterans within their own families and communities, he said. 

 

"The opportunity for students to have a direct engagement with a veteran is more challenging. We have a growing population in the country as a nation, but the percentage of people that actually serve in the United States military is less than 1 percent," said School Committee Chair Fred Lora, a retired Army officer.

 

"So, that means our students don't have that opportunity just to normally run into a veteran unless we have these types of events hosted by the school district." 

 

The event has received positive feedback from students and faculty and often sparks conversations among students about their own family members who served in the military, he said. 

 

Lora also encouraged students to continue those conversations at home by asking parents, grandparents and other relatives about their experiences in the armed forces, helping them gain a deeper understanding of their family's history and military service.

 

Massachusetts Army National Guard Sgt. First Class Brian Bergeron said the event is an exciting experience for both students and veterans.

 

One of the most beneficial things about this event is that it brings local veterans, those who may have graduated from the school and live in the community, who may not otherwise be recognized because they are not wearing their uniforms, he said.

 

"I think there's a lot of great community involvement there and appreciation for the sacrifices veterans have made … Most veterans [are people out in the community] they're police officers, they're teachers here, they're administrators, they're people who don't walk around in a uniform every day," Bergeron said. 

 

"So, it's a very positive experience for the students to see and understand how much of their community are people that have served in the military."

 

Several veterans also highlighted how the event introduced students to military service as a potential career path after graduation.

 

"Interacting with veterans encourages students to ask questions, hear firsthand accounts of military experiences and learn about the different places and cultures service members encounter throughout their careers, retired Army veteran Chuck Roberts said. 

 

"Military service isn't the be-all, end-all. It's just one part of your life, and a way to better yourself and find other opportunities," Bergeron said.

 

Bergeron, whose daughter attends Hoosac Valley, has previously been invited to the school through his work as a local military recruiter and has worked with students to help them explore post-graduation options, including college and potential military service.

 

Several students take the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery test and consider entering the military or participating in a Reserve Officers Training Corps program after high school, Byrd said. 

 

"In a high school last year, I'm pretty sure we graduated three students who were signed up to go into the armed forces post-graduation," she said. 

 

The event also teaches students the importance of serving a purpose greater than themselves, showing that there are many ways to give back to their communities and make a positive impact on others' lives, Chamble said.

 

Exposing middle school students to different forms of service helps them recognize that, regardless of the careers they pursue, they have opportunities to contribute to something larger than themselves, he said. 

 

"There are all kinds of ways to serve and make people's lives better, and just the fact that we have the opportunity to honor that and talk about it and gain more understanding about that, I think, is a great opportunity," Dean said.