Riley Avenue Elementary hosts first Veterans Appreciation Walk
Flags and banners decorated the halls at Riley Avenue Elementary as students and veterans gathered for the school’s first Veterans Appreciation Walk on Monday.
Each banner featured the name, image and branch of service of a local veteran.
The veterans met with student ambassadors and their children or grandchildren in the cafeteria to hear the high school band play patriotic songs. Then the student ambassadors led them through the halls while the other kids waved flags and sang a song of appreciation.
“We are so appreciative of [Principal Gary Karlson] bringing us to Riley. This has been such an honor,” said Erica Murphy of Manorville, a retired Air Force senior master sergeant and current board of education president. “I love that the kids get to see the veterans and connect with people in the community they may not know have served.”
Ms. Murphy has participated in several Veteran’s Day events in the district. She and her husband, Michael, a retired senior master sergeant from both the Air National Guard and the Air Force, walked along with their daughter, Charlotte.
“People forget that the military is a volunteer position, you don’t have to work there. Being able to make that choice. … It was right after 9/11 that I decided to enlist and make the country a little safer for everyone here,” said Ms. Murphy. “It means so much to feel the love and appreciation for that.”
Angel Velez, of Calverton, served as one of the student ambassadors. He said he was happy to participate in the walk.
“I’m happy for them because they take care of our country,” said Angel.
This is the first veterans walk for Riley Avenue Elementary, a program Mr. Karlson brought with him when he came to lead the school this year. He first began connecting veterans with his students as a teacher at Roanoke around ten years ago.
Mr. Karlson’s father-in-law, Barry Gilmore, a Vietnam War veteran, had always been tight-lipped about his experiences in the past, but after Mr. Karlson’s questions, he began to open up.
“I came across some of his artifacts in his home, and I was asking him questions. My mother-in-law, my wife, my sister-in-law, all said, ‘You know, it’s awesome that he talked to you about it, because it wasn’t a topic of conversation in our house growing up,’” Mr. Karlson said.
Mr. Karlson invited Mr. Gilmore to meet with the kids in his class and talk about what it means to be a veteran. This evolved into a grade-level event called “Heros with Heroes” where students would have sandwiches with the veterans. Later, during COVID, the event was a webinar that spanned multiple schools.
“I think of a family member or a veteran who spends time in our school is changed, too. We’re changed and they’re changed, and it’s all in a non-predetermined way, but education is supposed to make us different, right? You value the same things, but you’re not supposed to really leave school and be exactly the same as you were when you came in,” said Mr. Karlson.
The walk came from the idea of creating an event that is formative for a wide range of ages and grade levels.
“School is very powerful when it can provide shared experiences,” said Mr. Karlson. “It’s a difficult thing to find something of interest to someone who’s turning 5 years old and someone who’s turning 10. So we used Veterans Day and the concept of the walk to just give a shared experience.”
Charlotte Murphy summed up her experience with a hug for each of her heroes.
“It felt really fun [to walk] and I’m proud of my parents for being in the military because they’re the best people ever,” said Charlotte.
