View more pictures

The 11^th hour of the 11^th day of the 11^th month - this was the time the cease fire went into effect in WWI and has forever since been celebrated throughout the United States as Veterans Day. Greeneville City Schools teachers have done a great job in preparing our students to respect and acknowledge the great men and women in our country who have sacrificed so much in order to maintain and protect our freedom.

On Wednesday afternoon, Mrs. Kalyn Miller (Tusculum View Second Grade Teacher) coordinated and led a virtual conversation with 60 2^nd graders and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Glenn Miller, an 18-year U.S. Marine, who is currently stationed and living in Hawaii. Chief Warrant Officer Miller just recently returned from duty in Afghanistan. This was his third deployment in the past few years. Even though he was physically sitting on the Marine base in Hawaii – the 2^nd graders were able to ask him questions and talk to him face-to-face in a real-time environment thanks to technology solutions at the school. Tusculum View students are continuing their newfound friendship with Chief Warrant Officer Glenn Miller by writing him personal letters and are hoping to stay in touch with him throughout the year.

On Friday, Kimberly Russell’s 2^nd grade classroom at EastView celebrated Veterans’ Day in a very modern way - - by conducting a virtual celebration with a Cold War and Desert Storm veteran via the internet. Her second grade class selected former Army Cavalry Captain Chris Franchek to be the subject of their memorial. Captain Franchek is a West Point graduate who currently works at Fort Knox, Kentucky with the Army Accessions Command as a Department of the Army Civilian. He and Mrs. Russell are friends. Mrs. Russell came up with the idea of introducing her class of second graders to Captain Franchek via the video call. Targeting Veterans Day as the opportunity for a Video Memorial and Lesson, her students wrote personal letters and drew patriotic pictures which she forwarded to Captain Franchek this week.

“The interest the students have in both the military in general and in the life of a Soldier in particular is very moving,” Francheck said. “The greatest gift any Veteran can receive is recognition of their service by citizens. To receive recognition from such a young group of citizens moves me beyond words…”.

Teacher Kimberly Russell said, “The students and I have enjoyed this project greatly! It is a project of high interest for the students. Mostly, it is a project ‘of the heart’.”

Also, the class enjoyed a visit from Veteran Captain David Rivers, whose grandson, Grayson Hite, is in Mrs. Russell’s class.