Sup's Corner

I absolutely cherish being the superintendent of the Kellogg School District and some of my most treasured events are attending the Veterans Day Celebrations. This year every school hosted an event to honor Americans who sacrificed to ensure our freedoms. The schools were decorated with red, white, and blue and were bursting with patriotic tunes that filled my heart with pride. Children’s voices were united to honor our guests who came to be recognized and receive our thanks on this occasion.

Veterans Day is also important to our district because we have many veterans serving in classrooms and other positions throughout KSD. It provides a chance for us to recognize their service to our country as well, because every day they bring with them a level of dedication that is honorable and steadfast to us. Representing each branch of the military, I believe they are the finest our country has to offer and I am thankful that our students benefit from their work.

In addition, our district is fortunate to have an ROTC program to continue preparing our young people for a possible life of service. Major Craig Peterson and Sgt. Major Jeff Smith guide our Junior ROTC students. These two gentlemen are outstanding role models and always step up to volunteer our cadets for a variety of services. While especially on Veterans Day they are busy, they perform at numerous events throughout the Silver Valley during the entire year. Each time I see them in action I am impressed by the level of dignity and commitment they demonstrate. I wonder if there is any member of our Valley who hasn’t been present for at least one of our student honor guard events.

Another cause for my remembrance is a picture collage hanging on the wall at Kellogg High School of a group of individuals who have sacrificed their lives for our freedom in wars past. This collage has been hanging there for so many years it was there when I walked the halls as a student at KHS. I knew at the time that one of the individuals in that collage was an uncle I never met. He was my dad’s older brother, Georgie Howard, and he was the reason my grandmother was a Gold Star mother from World War II. I walk by his picture today with a deeper sense of what that meant and it strengthens my connection to family roots.

I hope that many of you will consider attending an event next year, or any of the events we sponsor throughout the year--you are welcome. You’ll find dedicated individuals working alongside the youth of our community to teach them the basics which are required, but also about their heritage and building pride in being a student of the Kellogg School District.