Haley Cabral was chosen from all of the 8th grade Social Studies students at T.S. Hill Middle School and with that honor was selected to read her essay at the annual Veterans Day Observance Program held at the Bearcat Event Center.
Below is her essay! Congratulations Haley! The Veterans and the Dexter community is proud and honored to have heard your essay on Tuesday!
What Does Freedom Mean to My Family?
What Does Freedom Mean to Me?
"What is freedom? That was the question that was posed to me. At first, I wasn’t very excited about writing an essay. But as I put more thought into the subject, I became more and more enthusiastic about the idea of being able to express my gratitude to all of the men and women who have sacrificed so much in order for America to be the free country that it is today.
In America, we enjoy many freedoms every day of our lives. For instance, we have freedom of speech and religion. It is our choice to marry who we want, and we have the right to vote for our leaders. All of these choices have been purchased through the sacrifice of veterans.
Many of the things we have in America are because of our veterans. I feel safe in my home and in my community. I have few restraints in the choices that I make every day. This is because I know I am protected by our men and women in uniform. They protect me even though they’ve never met me.
I am very grateful to the veterans for all of the sacrifices they have made so that we can be free. Many people in our country have lost loved ones as they have served our country, preserving our liberties.
In conclusion, we owe a lot to all of our veterans. We should never forget all of the sacrifices that our veterans have selflessly made so that we can be a free country. So the next time that you are listening to music, the next time you are picking out your clothes, or the next time you are going to church, don’t forget how lucky you are to have all of the privileges that you do. There are people around the world who would die for these rights that we take for granted, and we have these freedoms because of the men and women in uniform who have fought and died to keep them. Thank you, veterans, for fighting for our rights and our freedoms."
Students at Central Elementary in the 5th grade classrooms worked very hard on their posters to commemorate the military and Veterans. They wanted to show Veterans how much they appreciate them and these students know that without each Veteran's sacrifice they would not have the right to express themselves through art.
One winner is selected from each fifth grade classroom. SPC Katie Alsup, Missouri Army National Guard representative and Sheila Alsup, American Legion Auxiliary President announced the winners of the 2014 Patriotic Poster Contest.
Back row, left to right, Braxton Greenfield, Cayden Mansker, Alexis Robinson, Bethany Bradley, and Tori White.
Each student received a necklace and their very own dog tag. Congratulations on your fantastic artwork!
Each year students read an informational book about Veterans Day and the symbolism of the Poppy flower during Mrs. Banken's Art Class. The students were then asked to color a Poppy in honor of all Veterans. Winners were selected from each classroom.
The winners of the 2014 2nd Grade Poppy Coloring Contest are shown in the photo above.
They are from left to right front row: Jackson Caveness, Joe Passely, Cale Robinson, Kinley Kennedy, and Lawson Blocker (overall winner).
Back row from left to right are: Isabella Pittman, Caroline Stone, Annalisa Bradley, Cameron Bell, Elizabeth Bolin, and Landon Fraley.
“Bah! Humbug!”, a musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic tale “A Christmas Carol," will come to the Tinnin Fine Arts Center and local schools as part of the Patrons of the Arts 2014-15 season. The show will be performed at the Tinnin Fine Arts Center in Poplar Bluff on Sunday, Nov. 16, at 2 p.m, and schools across the region Nov. 10-12. Admission is $5 per person for all ages at the Tinnin Center, while the shows hosted by schools are provided to students at no charge.
“We’re very grateful to have the Imaginary Theatre Company back for the third year to perform their delightful children’s shows,” said Tim Thompson, Director of the Tinnin Fine Arts Center. “Their adaptations take beloved books and stories and make them come to life right there on the stage.”
This is the second season that Three Rivers and the Patrons of the Arts have expanded performances beyond the Tinnin Center, and the first that they have worked with schools and sponsors to provide performances at no cost to students. Free performances will come to schools in Dexter, Sikeston, Malden, Kennett, Piedmont, and Willow Springs.
Through the use of literature, folk tales, fairy tales, and new adaptations of classic works, the Imaginary Theatre Company provides the finest in theater for young theatergoers. The Company is part of the Repertory Theatre Company of St. Louis, and has performed children’s shows in the past two Patrons seasons.
Based on the oft-retold tale, the show follows filthy-rich businessman Ebenezer Scrooge as three ghosts help him learn the importance of kindness, generosity, and the true meaning of Christmas. The production updates the story to the modern day, but holds tight to the classic lessons in Dickens’ original novel.
Tickets for the Nov. 16 performance can be purchased online at trcc.edu/tinnin. Tickets are also available at the Poplar Bluff Chamber of Commerce, the Three Rivers College Business Office, and at the door.
For a study guide for this production or for more information about the Imaginary Theatre Company, visit www.repstl.org. For more information on upcoming Patrons of the Arts performances, including Chinese Acrobats on Dec. 12, and the Russian National Ballet on March 19, visit trcc.edu/tinnin
The 3R's stand for being Respectful, Ready to Learn and Responsible. The class with the highest attendance average, combined with the fewest disciplinary measures and general good character are awarded a 3R red flag to be posted in their classroom for the next month. The students are also awarded "superhero" capes to wear and parade around the gym before returning to class.
The winning kindergarten classroom was Mrs. Brenda Mason, first grade winning classroom was Mrs. Shannon Putnam, and the winning second grade classroom was Mrs. Shelly Leonard.
Shown in the photo above is Mrs. Brenda Mason's Kindergarten class.
