School Desk

St. John’s honors veterans

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For Adrian Pinto, a fifth-grade student at St. John’s School in Kingsbridge, Veterans Day has taken on a new meaning since his older brother Chris joined the army. 

“When a day comes like this, you can celebrate them and be grateful for what they did,” said Adrian, 10, whose sibling is deployed in South America. 

The student and his classmates took time to honor and pray for current and former members of the armed forces during a mass and assembly at St. John’s on Nov. 7. 

During the assembly, Principal Edward Higgins, whose own father served in the Coast Guard during World War II, invited students to give cards filled with special Veterans Day messages to two special guests: Corporal Orlando Helena, a former student of Mr. Higgins who is in the Marine Reserve, and Jason Charnes, a naval officer who was deployed to the Persian Gulf for six months in 2005. 

Mr. Charnes’ wife and his daughter Jean-Marie, a first grade student at the school, stood by him as he accepted flowers and handmade cards from the students.  

Mr. Higgins, meanwhile, had a request for his students. 

“Wherever you are at 11 a.m. [on Tuesday], I’m going to ask for you to stop and say a prayer for all the men and women who have served our country,” he said. “We can’t do what we do here at St. John’s without these people.”

After he spoke, 16 students stood at the front of the cafeteria to hold paper letters spelling out, “Thank You Veterans.”

Students with family members in the military also received bouquets of flowers to bring home to their loved ones. 

Ten-year-old Cassandra Alleyne said she planned to give her bouquet to her uncle, who served in the Navy, the next time she sees him.  

“I’m really thankful that people serve to protect us,” she said. “I think it’s nice that we celebrate the veterans.” 

Arthur Benavides, a fifth-grade student, said the mass and ceremony made him proud to have a cousin in the Marines. 

“He can help protect people,” he said of his relative. “We pray for them to keep them safe.” 

St. John's School, Edward Higgins, Veterans Day, Maya Rajamani
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