Stu's News: November 14, 2007

Veterans Day

Veterans Day is the day our nation sets aside to thank and honor the brave men and women who have served and continue to serve our country as members of the military, both in times of war and in times of peace.

Each one of us owes a debt of gratitude to our Veterans and active members of the military – for their commitment to our United States, for their contributions to our national security and for their willingness to serve people they will never meet across our great country.

For many members of our FCPS Family, Veterans Day hits close to home. Some of our employees are veterans themselves. Some of our employees are on leave right now, serving overseas and facing daily danger in Iraq and Afghanistan. And many other staff members have loved ones serving in the military and stationed around the world.

In this special Veterans Day issue, we thought it would be nice to list the names of all those who have personal connections to our Armed Services. With the help of supervisors and principals around the district, we worked to assemble as complete a list as we could. The sheer size of our school district made this a challenge. Please accept our sincere apologies for any omissions. If you know of people we have missed, please send an email to lisa.deffendall@fayette.kyschools.us or call the communications office at 381-4108 and we will update this edition of Stu’s News on the Web site.

We honor those who have fought and those who are fighting for the many freedoms we have. We thank all of our troops for their dedication and sacrifices, and offer this poem in their honor…

Take A Moment To Thank A Veteran

By Joanna Fuchs

When you see someone in a uniform
Someone who serves us all,
Doing military duty,
Answering their country’s call,
Take a moment to thank them
For protecting what you hold dear;
Tell them you are proud of them;
Make it very clear.
Just tap them on the shoulder,
Give a smile, and say,
"Thanks for what you’re doing;
To keep us safe in the USA!"

Here are the Fayette County employees with connections to our men and women of the Armed Services:

Edythe J. Hayes Middle School students enjoyed lunch with a veteran as part of the school’s celebration of Veterans Day. The school’s Science, Technology and Leadership Program students also interviewed their special guests about their experiences in the Armed Services and will submit their responses for possible inclusion in the Library of Congress Veterans Archives. In all, 82 veterans participated in the event.