Aspen Community School celebrated Veterans Day with eight fine Veterans and a room full of thoughtful students, teachers, and parents. Our crowd spanned generations- from age five to eighty seven yet we could not have been more unified. It was an honor to hear stories of military service marked by sacrifice, comradery, and the simple acts of kindness that carried these soldiers through. Students presented what they cherish about our country, the freedoms they value, and what we can do to perpetuate peace through understanding.

This marked our 10th Veterans Day celebration at Aspen Community School. Traditions are a bit like spade work. Spade work is likened to working the soil when preparing to plant something. We worked the soil today by creating space to listen to one another. Students listened, questioned, and recognized the commonalities between themselves and the brave individuals in front of them. Veterans heard the curiosity, awe, and everyday kindness of children. Despite differences in age and experience, an understanding was planted: We need to care for one another, we need to seek to understand one another, to say thank you- often, and we need to do our jobs to the best of our ability.

The celebration closed with Caty Dalton and Max Hanks playing an original arrangement of the National Anthem on the violin and cello. Amazing!  Intimate classroom conversations followed. Thank you to everyone that attended and a special thank you to our guests and friends: Lt. Col. Dick Merritt, Dan Glidden, Brian Porter, Dwayne Romero, Jim Korpela, Alec Peiffer, Don Stuber and Alec Pieffer. A special thank you to Jim Gilchrist for starting this tradition. Aspen Community School students will not be in session tomorrow in honor of Veterans Day. Students have homework- reach out to a veteran and thank them for their service.