Bentonville Students Salute First-Responders

STAFF PHOTO Dave Perozek Elm Tree Elementary students wave flags and cheer as a Bentonville fire engines circles a lot behind the school during an event held Thursday to honor first-responders. Bentonville police also participated in the parade.
STAFF PHOTO Dave Perozek Elm Tree Elementary students wave flags and cheer as a Bentonville fire engines circles a lot behind the school during an event held Thursday to honor first-responders. Bentonville police also participated in the parade.

BENTONVILLE -- Students marched out of their school holding miniature U.S. flags. Their chants of "USA! USA!" could be heard from all over the campus.

Thursday was the 13th anniversary of 9/11, a day typically remembered with solemn ceremonies. Elm Tree Elementary School, however, took the opportunity to celebrate the community's first responders with singing, cheering and flag-waving.

At A Glance

9/11

More than 3,000 people were killed during the 9/11 attacks in New York City and Washington, including more than 400 police officers and firefighters.

Source: History.com

The Voices of Elm Tree, a fourth-grade choir, sang "God Bless The USA." Several representatives of Bentonville's police and fire departments accepted letters, pictures and other items from the students expressing gratitude for the work they do. Mayor Bob McCaslin also attended.

"This is our small way of saying thank you so much for what you do for us," said Mandie Byrd, principal, as students presented the items.

One of those items was a large piece of artwork depicting the American flag. First-graders used their handprints to make the flag's stripes. Within each handprint was a message written by a student.

Police officers and firefighters then got in their vehicles and circled the parking lot, their sirens blaring as the children cheered and waved their flags some more. Some students held up signs they'd made with construction paper that read, "Thank you."

Dylan Peters, a student in Bill Kirker's fourth-grade class, thought it was great fun.

"They do a lot for us and I like them," Dylan said. "They're very helpful to us. I just want to say thanks."

Randall Nelson, a Fire Department captain, was one of two department staff members who attended. Nelson works at station five on Southwest Elm Tree Road, about half a mile from the school.

Asked for his reaction, Nelson said it was hard to describe.

"This is what we do," Nelson said. "People look at us as heroes, but to us it's just what we do. It makes me proud those kids wanted to say thank you. It makes you proud to be part of this community."

Thursday's event was organized by Elm Tree's staff and parent-teacher organization. The PTO paid for the flags to give to each of more than 600 students.

"We had it in the budget," said Becky Schroeder, PTO co-president. "This was something we felt was important enough."

Lessons related to 9/11 had been a part of the students' education leading up to Thursday. Younger students studied what freedom means and the contributions of first responders. Some students got a little more in-depth in terms of the day's history, Byrd said.

Schroeder has a first- and third-grader at Elm Tree. When the topic of Sept. 11 comes up with her children, she tries to reflect on the good that came out of that day: the unity of the American people.

"I don't want to put that fear into them," Schroeder said. "There are more good people than bad."

NW News on 09/12/2014

Upcoming Events