Submitted by Patricia Oeste, NBCT, Conway, Arkansas

Idea posted November 1, 2002

I have just put my Veterans Day Program together and am getting rather excited about it. I have divided it into five parts...

Opening
I. Our Flag
II. Our Land
III. Our Heroes
IV. Our Beloved Veterans
V. Our Hopes
Closing

...And here is how I have organized it. I will be using third, fourth, and fifth graders (about 250). And, yes, I have a HUGE stage.

Opening: This Is America (from Music K-8, Vol. 13, No. 1 - YES, this is the song I needed... PERFECT. Thanks, PLANK.)
I. Our Flag

A. The Star-Spangled Banner Reader's Theater

B. The Star-Spangled Banner

C. My Flag (from Music K-8, Vol. 12, No. 5)

D. Allegiance Rap (from Music K-8, Vol. 12, No. 1, also available as a Singles Reproducible Kit)

II. Our Land

A. America, The Beautiful (sung by the Toadsuck Symphony, a local bluegrass band!)

B. America

C. This Land Is My Land

D. America, My Home (from Music K-8, Vol. 6, No. 5, also available as a Singles Reproducible Kit)

III. Our Heroes

A. Poem - One (by Dr. Cheryl Sawyer; links to words below)

B. Lady Liberty (from the Network section of Music K-8, Vol. 12, No. 4)

C. Song about immigrants (I can't FIND it - I think it was SB and it had clarinet and sounded Hebrew-ish??)

D. You Are Our Heroes (from Music K-8, Vol. 12, No. 4, also available as a Singles Reproducible Kit)

IV. Our Vets

A. Reading "What is a Vet?"

B. Two time Purple Heart Vet Speaks

C. Moment of Silence (with Taps played from the balcony)

D. I'll Remember You

E. Armed Forces Salute

V. Our Hopes

A. A Song Of Peace (from Music K-8, Vol. 12, No. 2, also available as a Singles Reproducible Kit)

B. We Are The People Of The 21st Century (from Music K-8, Vol. 10, No. 1, also available as a Singles Reproducible Kit)

Closing: God Bless America

I will intersperse famous quotes about America throughout the program. There are a couple wonderful web sites that I have found great quotes on - and free...

Kids will be dressed in red, white, or blue T-shirts and jeans. I have rented a gorgeous backdrop with the flag and the Statue of Liberty on it. Beautiful!

I am also going to use the idea of the wall of bricks with Vet's names on them - relatives of students at our school listing names, branch of service, and war served in. And, we hope to invite them to our performance and have them stand on their appropriate song during the Armed Forces Salute.

I am really looking forward to this. Now that I have sat down and put it together, it is not SO daunting.