Vinton Messenger
  • eEdition
  • News
    • Local News
    • Sports
    • Notices
    • Church
  • Legals
  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Classifieds
  • Login
Subscribe For $2.50/Month
No Result
View All Result
  • eEdition
  • News
    • Local News
    • Sports
    • Notices
    • Church
  • Legals
  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Classifieds
  • Login
No Result
View All Result
Vinton Messenger
No Result
View All Result
Home Local News

BES celebrates Veterans Day with Bonsack Bootcamp

March 4, 2020
in Local News
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • 1302Share on Facebook
  • 185Share on Twitter
  • 671Share on Email

DEBBIE ADAMS

Students at Bonsack Elementary School celebrated Veterans Day with a new twist on old traditions—a Bonsack Bootcamp. Music teacher Katie Saunders and P. E. teacher Dustin King came up with a new concept for the special day—a “fun station experience with hands-on learning.”

Bonsack Elementary student Jalen Lin meets Colonel Donald Clary at the Bonsack Veterans Day Bootcamp “Meet a Veteran” presentation.

Students in grades K-5 spent their Encore period rotating through six stations:

  • A Basic Training Obstacle Course where students did the Army Crawl under a parachute and through a “mud pit,” climbed a rock wall, and hopped and jumped through various other obstacles
Students at Bonsack Elementary celebrated Veterans Day with a Bonsack Bootcamp hands-on learning day which included a Basic Training Obstacle Course under a parachute and through a “mud pit.”
The Climbing Wall at Bonsack Bootcamp on Veterans Day.
  • On Target where students launched objects at targets
  • The Navy SEAL Training STEAM project in which students worked in groups to build a boat, navigate it across the gym “river,” build a hula shelter and “fake fire.”
The Bonsack Navy SEAL team builds boats to cross the river.
After crossing the river, the Navy SEAL team builds a hula hut and a fake fire.
  • The Military History Museum uniform display where Army Captain Tim Alexander answered questions about military life and apparel. Captain Alexander served in the Army from 1992-1999 and was deployed to Haiti, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia. The captain has a son, Ethan, who is a student at William Byrd Middle School, and a daughter, Addie, in fourth grade at Bonsack. Alexander explained patches on his uniform that indicate he served in an Airborne Division and bars that show his rank.
Army Captain Tim Alexander gave Bonsack students a tour of the Military History Museum as part of Bonsack Bootcamp.
  • The Meet a Veteran Panel where students met veteran Captain Alexander and Colonel Donald Clary who answered questions about why they entered the military, special people they had met, why Veterans Day is so important, the worst foods they had eaten in the military, boot camp experiences, and how serving in the Armed Services affected their lives. Colonel Clary served in the U.S. Army from the late 1960’s through 2000, with the majority of his time spent stationed in Virginia. He was an ROTC cadet at Virginia Tech. He described boot camp as a time to learn teamwork and to learn to follow the rules through rigorous training. One special memory was meeting Governor George Allen on an assignment as Commander of Fort Pickett.
Meet a Veteran at Bonsack Bootcamp
  • The Thank you card station where students decorated cards to be delivered by Saunders to the VA Hospital and Veterans Care Center—with approximately 400 cards made.
Bonsack students made cards to thank veterans for their service, delivered by music specialist Katie Saunders to the VA Hospital and Veterans Care Center.

The entrance to the school was also decorated with stars made by students to honor members of their families who have served in the military—a Wall of Honor.

Stars  made by students at Bonsack honoring veterans in their families and community.
  • 1302Share on Facebook
  • 185Share on Twitter
  • 671Share on Email
Previous Post

BOARD/ COMMISSION VACANCIES TOWN OF VINTON, VIRGINIA

Next Post

Mount Pleasant Elementary salutes veterans

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • eEdition
  • News
  • Legals
  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Classifieds
  • Login

© 2021 Virginia Media, INC

No Result
View All Result
  • Subscribe
  • News Categories
    • Local News
    • Church
    • Sports
    • School
  • Notices
  • Obituaries
  • Courthouse
    • Legals
    • Deeds
  • eEdition
  • Spiritual
    • The Episcopal Diocese of Virginia
    • Transcendental Meditation
    • Parabola
  • News From Around The State
  • News From Around The Country

© 2021 Virginia Media, INC

  • 1302Share on Facebook
  • 185Share on Twitter
  • 671Share on Email

Forgot your password?

Lost your password? Please enter your email address. You will receive mail with link to set new password.

Back to login