Hovatter Elementary School -

On November 11th, 2024, Hovatter Elementary and Henrietta Lacks Elementary celebrated their Veteran families with an assembly, slideshow tribute, and parade! The morning began with 1550+ students tuning into a streamed assembly at Henrietta Lacks. The 5th grade Honeybeats chorus from Hovatter opened the assembly with the Pledge of Allegiance and the Star Spangled Banner. Mrs. Leigh Boyd, Henrietta Lacks principal, spoke thanking the Veteran families in attendance for their service and courage. She asked each branch of service to stand and be recognized. Mrs. Mercer, principal at Hovatter introduced retired Space Force Lieutenant Colonel Eric Thompson who addressed the students in the assembly and those watching from their classrooms. He thanked the Veterans and shared what their legacy means to all of us. He engaged the students in a Q and A about their interests and hobbies, circling back to the freedoms they enjoy and how our Veterans have provided those freedoms. The Honeybeats performed Arms of an Old Oak Tree and the assembly concluded with a slideshow highlighting student and staffs' relatives who have served. Our Veterans then lined up and circled through a parade route between schools as every student waved the American flag and cheered. The morning concluded with a breakfast reception. Thank you to our schools' music departments for organizing the event as well as our PTA for sponsoring the breakfast.