With the help of veterans, students decorated classroom doors to represent different branches of the U.S. military.
As part of the Fayetteville-Manlius School District’s commitment to developing community partnerships that extend classroom learning and encouraging civic engagement, Wellwood Middle School is teaming up with Clear Path for Veterans.
Clear Path for Veterans is a nonprofit organization that provides support and services to U.S. military veterans and their families.
Students participate in activities throughout the school year, alongside veterans and volunteers, designed to educate them about the military and what it means to be a veteran. The partnership also supports Wellwood’s character education program by recognizing and promoting positive character traits such as bravery, teamwork, perseverance, kindness and gratitude.
In September, former marine and Wellwood Middle School alum Lance Corporal William Bishop spoke with students about being a veteran and his own character strengths. Students learned how Clear Path for Veterans supports veterans through programs, including their canine training and placement program, and were introduced to a service dog in training.
To learn more about the different branches of the military, students took part in a door decorating activity in November. Each grade level was assigned a different branch of the military and was tasked with decorating their classroom door to represent that branch. Veterans attended the activity and helped provide guidance and inspiration to the students.
Additional activities are planned this winter and spring, including gratitude note writing for veterans and a military drill game with a veteran “drill sergeant.”
“By highlighting students’ character strengths and seeing those same strengths in others through our community partnerships, our students develop a stronger connection to their community and it helps bring us together as a school,” said Amy Sibert, Wellwood teacher and Character Education Co-Chair.
Each school year, F-M’s middle schools partner with an organization, which is selected by the students. This year, Eagle Hill Middle School is partnering with Rise Above Poverty Syracuse, a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness of homelessness and poverty and providing basic necessities to students in the Syracuse City School District.