On Nov. 11, Paradise Elementary School held its first Veterans Day assembly, honoring area residents who served or are serving in the armed forces, along with reinforcing some important safety lessons for all the students in the school.

Rick Esche, school principal, opened the ceremony by asking veterans and active military personnel in the audience to stand. Students gave the honored guests a round of applause, and Esche thanked them for attending and for their service to the country. Esche also thanked donors and those taking part in the event, including the Paradise PTO, local Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, and the sixth-grade Braves Club. "A lot of work went into this assembly and getting veterans here," said Esche, who went on to thank the Paradise Township Lions Club, which donated 500 tiny flags to add to the celebration. Assistant principal Jody Bradley announced that attending armed service members and veterans would introduce themselves with the aid of some students who traversed the room with portable microphones. Among those guests were Codie McCall, a Pequea Valley High School (PVHS) graduate with the 213th Personnel Company at Fort Indiantown Gap in Annville, and Matthew Maisano, a former Paradise Elementary student, who is with the U.S. Force in Harrisburg.

The school trait of the month for November was safety, and school counselor Kelly Loder presented a video on the subject of digital safety. "You guys have technology, and we want to make sure you're being safe," she told students. Each student received a copy of the digital safety pledge, which encouraged ways the student could keep himself or herself safe as well as respecting others online. "Digital safety is real important," noted Loder.

Next, Bradley asked all the students to stand for the national anthem. When that was completed, a group of Girl Scouts and a few Boy Scouts folded the American flag while explaining the meaning of each fold. Thirteen folds are required, and each represents a principle upon which the country was founded, including life, remembrance of veterans, trust in God, and tributes to the armed forces. Once the flag was folded, taps was played.

In the weeks leading up to the assembly, students had provided photos of family members who were veterans. The sixth-grade Braves Club put together a slideshow of the photos accompanied by the various armed forces hymns. Students were encouraged to raise their hand when a photo of a family member flashed across the screen.

Esche then introduced Paradise PTO president Katie Knaub, who had a gift for all the students. "Who is Paradise Proud?" asked Esche. "Everyone is," he responded, noting that the PTO raises funds for a number of projects. "Every student and staff member will get a symbol of our Paradise Proud ... a new T-shirt." Esche announced that the first Paradise Proud Day would be held Nov. 18 and that each student was encouraged to wear his or her new red shirt that day. "We will give these out every year. It will be a tradition here," said Esche.

More information about the school, located at 20 N. Belmont Road, Paradise, may be found at http://www.pequeavalley.org/paradise.