students and veterans gather for a group photo

Albion Elementary School’s annual Flag Day ceremony was back in full force Tuesday morning with a gymnasium full of students, veterans and red, white and blue.

Family members of the school’s students who served in the armed forces were invited to the celebration to be honored. The honor band played during the opening procession and dismissal and each grade performed a patriotic song.

More than 200 students wrote poems with one from each grade level selected to read their composition. Those students were Everet Bruning, Madalyn Crouser, Isabella Hafner, Mya Taylor, Semya Tilford and Perry Wadsworth. The top Accelerated Reader points earners for the year each recited a fact about the flag. Those students were Lily Colonna, Lily Brigenberg, Amelia Klatt and Adele Mathes. Aubrey Bruning and Misty Weese were also recognized for their winning poppy poster designs.

The ceremony also included other annual awards given to students. Scotlynn Ahrens, Blake Doty, Rianne Hand, Adele Mathes and Parker Roberts received the Comptroller’s Award. The Triple C Award was given to Luke Bedford, Hollee Cook, Aspen Gillette, Nicole Loney, Kyle Schomske and Caden Woolston. The Donald Butts Award, named after the school’s long-standing former principal, went to Rigoberto Baltazar, Logan Bannister, Daisy Bravo Lopez, Lucas Conner, Taylin Denton and Thailer Seibert. Lux Froman and Rianne Hand received the Tap My Foot band award and Amelia Symons was honored with the Patrick Digirolamo Award for art.

After the ceremony, a reception was held for the veterans and their students. The day serves as a great way to honor those who served, to acknowledge student achievement and to celebrate the flag and our freedoms.