November 11, 2022

Veterans Day

Good morning Alta Loma School District and Happy Veterans Day! For the 2022 year, Veterans Day is celebrated today Friday, November 11th. This is a United States federal holiday that honors all military veterans who have served in the U.S. military and is observed annually on November 11. The day coincides with Remembrance Day and Armistice Day, which marks the anniversary of the end of World War I. Veterans Day gives Americans the opportunity to celebrate the bravery and sacrifice of all U.S. veterans. You might be interested to learn that according to the Department of Veterans Affairs, many Americans confuse this holiday with Memorial Day, which honors those individuals who have died in our nation’s wars. 

In my opinion, it is imperative that all Americans know the history of Veterans Day so that we can honor our former service members properly. As previously mentioned, Veterans Day was formerly known as Armistice Day and was originally set as a U.S. legal holiday to honor the end of World War I, which officially took place on Nov. 11, 1918. In legislation that was passed in 1938, Nov. 11 was "dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be hereafter celebrated and known as Armistice Day.” This was our nation’s way of honoring World War I veterans. However, in 1954, after having been through both World War II and the Korean War, the 83rd U.S. Congress amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word "Armistice" and inserting the word "Veterans." With the approval of this legislation on June 1, 1954, Nov. 11 became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.

One fact you may find interesting is that in 1968, the Uniform Holiday Monday Act ensured three-day weekends for federal employees by celebrating four national holidays on Mondays: Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day, Veterans Day and Columbus Day. Under this bill, Veterans Day was moved to the fourth Monday of October! Many states did not agree with this decision and continued to celebrate the holiday on its original date. Therefore, on Sept. 20, 1975 President Gerald R. Ford signed a law that returned the annual observance of Veterans Day to its original date of Nov. 11, beginning in 1978. 

Another interesting fact is it’s "Veterans Day," not "Veteran's Day," for a good reason. The lack of the apostrophe has a definite and deliberate meaning. According to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, Veterans Day is not a day that belongs to veterans, it is a day for honoring veterans directly in front of us right now. This is why I would like to end this quick history lesson with a sincere and passionate THANK YOU to all the military veterans and their family members who are reading this post. Thank you for bravely doing what you were called to do so we can safely do what we’re free to do. Thank you for serving our nation, our debt can never be repaid. Thank you for defending our freedom. It is my greatest hope that everyone, especially those individuals enjoying this three day weekend, remembers the significance of this day and at what cost to others it took for Veterans Day to exist. Thank you for remembering and thanking a military veteran on this most honorable day! 

National Native American Heritage Month

Did you know that November is Native American Heritage Month, also known as American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month? It is a month set aside to recognize the significant contributions that the first Americans made to the establishment and growth of this wonderful nation. It is a time for all Americans to pay tribute to the rich ancestry and traditions of Native Americans as we celebrate Native American Heritage Month, which was first declared nationally as a special month of recognition in 1990 by President George H.W. Bush.

Native American Heritage Month also presents an opportunity to educate the public about the proud history of Indigenous people in America, and to celebrate the rich and diverse tribal cultures that continue to thrive throughout our communities. In our case, here in the Alta Loma School District area, the Tongva (Gabrielino) tribe were among the wealthiest, most populous, and most influential native groups in Southern California. Today, Native American cultures are alive and evolving within cities, rural communities, tribal communities, and nations across the United States. This month, let’s all celebrate the traditions, languages and stories of Native people and ensure their rich histories and contributions can live on with each passing generation.

Upcoming District Events

• Monday, November 14-Friday, November 18 - Elementary Parent/Teacher Conferences (Modified Days)
• Monday, November 14 - Citizens' Bond Oversight Committee Meeting, 6:00 pm at Carnelian Elementary School
• Tuesday, November 15 - Fentanyl Awareness Night, 6:00 pm at Vineyard Junior High School
• Friday, November 18 - Jr. High Modified Day
• Monday, November 21 - Friday, November 25 - Thanksgiving Holidays (No School)
• Monday, November 28 - Student's Return to School
• Wednesday, December 7 - State of the District, 5:30 pm at the District Support Center
• Wednesday, December 14 - Board of Trustees Meeting, 6:00 pm at the District Support Center

Carnelian Elementary extends its eternal gratitude to our Veterans. At our Veterans Day Flag Assembly, Carnelian students and staff invited friends or family who have served in the military to join them on stage. We were able to pay tribute to them by singing our patriotic song, America the Beautiful, give them a standing ovation, and of course, Big Red had to give them all a high five and a hand shake! Our PTA hospitality team provided our veterans with coffee and breakfast. The Carnelian Cardinal community was absolutely honored by the presence of these brave and dedicated individuals and we whole-heartedly thank them for their service. “Be Safe, Be Kind, Be Proud and Have a Great Cardinal Day!”

The Jasper second graders have been working hard on our Veterans Day assembly. They have been practicing songs, poems, and speeches to honor the service and sacrifice of military members. We had the opportunity to invite active service members and veterans to the assembly. Watching the students, parents, families, and community come together for a special day brings smiles to our faces.

A former veteran and grandparent of a Champion let us display his 1940’s military service jeep! This served as not only a great backdrop for the ceremony, but a reminder of our history and fight for freedom. Participants were invited for refreshments after and were able to take pictures and share stories. The morning was memorable and carried with it many emotions. Jasper would like to thank all members of our military in all branches past and present. Happy Veterans Day we are grateful for your sacrifice!

We truly appreciate our Stork PFSA who is committed to joining parents and faculty together, to enhance the experience of each student on campus. This year’s annual membership drive brought in donations allowing our Stork PFSA to contribute to student events, AR parties, Hoedown, Millionaire Lunches, Fun Fridays, Student Store, Holiday Store, teacher & staff appreciation, spirit projects, staff support and much more! The list is long of the GREAT things that they do for our school. We appreciate them!

Thank you to all our Stork families for joining our PFSA and donating to our school. With the success of our membership drive, I kept my promise and kissed a chicken last week. It was a great day! Thanks to the Swaim family for bringing one of their beloved chickens to school. Our top classes with the most memberships earned pizza parties- congrats to 3rd grade Mrs. Wright’s class and 6th grade Ms. Hess’ class! Way to go Superstars! Keep shining bright! 

Last week we kicked off Trimester 2 with our fist ASB Halloween Dance! ASB did an amazing job setting up and preparing the MPR and our Warriors had a blast! It was fun to see kids enjoying themselves. The week capped off with our esteemed Warrior of the Trimester breakfast ceremony where students, who were hand-selected by their teachers, were honored. These Warriors were selected from a pool of other well-qualified students who earned a minimum of 3.75 GPA and had high citizenship marks. All these students exemplified what it means to be a Warrior and have Warrior PRIDE. We proudly recognized them with their families during a great week here at Alta Loma Junior High! 

Alta Loma Elementary School

From Principal Josh Jauss:

Typically, our veterans spend so much time walking around in their normal dress that we rarely have the opportunity to see just how connected to the military our community is. Well, this was not the case this week as we held our Veterans Day celebration. Our ALE families of students and staff alike came together to celebrate the pride that they have for our country, our veterans, and the ways their families have served. Students were given the chance to either submit a photo of a loved veteran or invite a veteran to introduce to our Alta Loma Elementary family of students and staff. We shared stories, pictures, poems, and even a few tears. Thank you to all those who helped make the day a special one, to all the families that attended, and especially to all the families and community members who have made countless sacrifices to protect our country and our freedoms. Thank you.