Our Lady of the Valley Catholic School in Birmingham celebrated Veterans Day 2023 by engaging in a school-wide unit across all grades. The school participates in a school-wide unit every year, with each year having its own theme. It is a great opportunity for different grades to mix, and it allows eighth graders to function as leaders of the school by having a specific group to lead. The 2023 school-wide unit’s goal was not only to learn about the origins of Veterans Day, but also to honor veterans, pray for the military, and complete a service-project for the brave servicemen and women who are not at home.

The school began the day by listening to four speakers that have served in the military in some capacity. The students learned about boot camp, tech services, and even took a ride in an F-16 (via video)! After the speakers concluded, the student body broke into groups that contained students of each grade with two eighth-grader leaders. A Veterans Day scavenger hunt took place in the aftercare room; where clues were hidden outlining how and why the holiday was started. After participating in several patriotic songs in the Performing Arts room, students gathered in the chapel to recite a decade of the rosary for each military branch. The school’s PE coach put students “through the ringer” with a boot camp, and students created food care packages for servicemen and women to be delivered to Hoover’s Army Recruiter’s Office. Lastly, the day concluded with a Veterans Day program and White Table service in the school’s auditorium.