THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, June 2, 1995 TAG: 9505310152
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY SUSAN W. SMITH, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 84 lines
An ambulance, a battleship and two helicopters descended on Great Bridge Intermediate School last Friday, along with representatives from the U.S. Army, the Navy and the Coast Guard.
But they didn't come in response to an emergency. They came to participate in a ``Patriotic Day and Career Fair'' at the school.
There was a flag-waving, high-stepping, proud-to-be-an-American program with beaming parents, crisp military dress uniforms, stirring music and a red-white-and-blue dress code for Great Bridge Intermediate's 1,105 students.
Dr. Rebecca Adams, the school's principal, said the patriotic event was the culmination of a yearlong study by third-, fourth- and fifth-graders of the states and their capitals, speeches, events, famous Americans and the responsibility of citizenship.
For months, guidance counselor Amy Spangler worked with students, faculty and parents to organize the celebration. Art teacher Emily Cannon and her classes painted, pasted and crafted the stage. Students memorized speeches and created costumes. PTA members constructed Uncle Sam top hats, banners and streamers.
State Delegate J. Randy Forbes, school administrators Dr. C. Fred Bateman and Dr. W. Randolph Nichols, Chesapeake City Council members and military guests were invited to participate.
Students dressed as Daniel Boone, Elizabeth Blackwell, Thomas Edison, Mark Twain, Dolly Madison and Gen. Douglas MacArthur marched in a parade of famous Americans.
The Great Bridge High School band played patriotic selections and Oscar F. Smith High School's ROTC drill and rifle teams performed.
Hundreds of flags fluttered as the school's chorus performed their version of ``Yankee Doodle Pony,'' ``It's a Grand Old Flag'' and ``America the Beautiful.''
In steady, clear tones, student leaders Daniella Lorenz and Chambers Holmes began, ``We hold these truths to be self-evident . . . '' and 350 other third-graders joined in the recitation of Thomas Jefferson's ``Declaration of Rights.''
Students Joyce Bennett and Samantha Meloy led 387 fourth-graders in Patrick Henry's ``Give me liberty or give me death'' speech.
``We the people of the United States . . . ,'' began Kelly Martin, as 371 fifth-grade classes joined in the Preamble to the Constitution.
Patrick Jordan, Eric Swemer and Aundre Sasse came forward to lead 68 students in Abraham Lincoln's ``Gettysburg Address.''
Jill Duck's fourth-grade class collected the signatures of each of the 50 state governors for inclusion in a quilt, which was presented to the school.
``The quilt will hang in the GBI hall for many years to come,'' said Adams. ``We are proud of our students and of this year's accomplishments, not only in school but also in being good citizens. Remember in the excitement of the day that our 1,105 students are well on the way to being productive citizens.''
After the ceremony, the classes toured career stations, where they could check out the possibility of being a Secret Service agent or a paramedic, or of joining the Army, Navy or Coast Guard or of doing research for NASA.
Excited fourth-graders scrambled through a Chesapeake police car, manned the controls of a Coast Guard helicopter and sounded the siren on a Virginia State Police cruiser.
``It almost fits,'' said Chris Johnson as he tried on a flak jacket and helmet at a display prepared by Naval Beach Group 2.
Isaac Goodman explained a 42-foot-long replica of the battleship USS Alabama from the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, while Mike Maloney and Tom Scafidi of USS Bainbridge demonstrated firefighting gear.
``Today represents everything that is good about our community and about America,'' said Forbes. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photos by MORT FRYMAN
The chorus at Great Bridge Intermediate School wave flags and sing
patriotic songs during a proud-to-be-an-American program.
Colleen Losey leads the children in song.
Wendy Edwards as Betsy Ross.
Matthew Allen portrayed Gen. Robert E. Lee.
Matt Keil was one of 1,105 students waving U.S. flags.
Staff photo by MORT FRYMAN
by CNB