GREAT FALLS — Students at St. Patrick's Academy East in Great Falls came together Tuesday afternoon to honor those who have served, hosting their first annual Veterans Day program filled with music, reflection, and heartfelt gratitude.
Kindergarten through eighth-grade students welcomed veterans and their families into the school gym for a celebration that included live performances and handouts like handmade cards.
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The school band played patriotic favorites, while the students explained the history and meaning behind the Pledge of Allegiance, and the choir performed Veterans’ Day medleys.
Organizers say the goal was to teach students the importance of recognizing the sacrifices made by service members and their families.
“Today we are celebrating our veterans here in our community,” Laura O’Neill, the director of the school, said. “We invited veterans, their families, and our students with military ties to come listen to our band play, our choir sing, and to see our youngest students share what the true Pledge of Allegiance means.”
The event was significant for the school’s large military-connected population. As a designated Purple Star School, nearly 60 students come from families currently serving or previously stationed at nearby Malmstrom Air Force Base.
“We are big supporters of our military community here in Great Falls,” Laura added. “We’re proud to be part of a program that supports our military students and families.”
Alongside the celebration, students also took time to remember fallen service members, emphasizing the program’s deeper purpose: gratitude and remembrance.
“I’d like to thank all of our veterans and active military who are serving to protect our freedoms and the home that we live in,” she added.
The first annual Veterans Day program marks the start of what educators hope will become a lasting tradition, one that teaches students to honor the past while recognizing sacrifices made for their future.
