Honoring the Military Serves Dual Purpose at Stanton Elementary School

Stanton Elementary School recently served a traditional Thanksgiving Day feast to veterans Robert Daley from the Navy as well as Scott Tamme from the Army. 

The lunch served more than one purpose.  Along with honoring the men who have served the country, it also taught the children about their own inner strengths, leadership skills, social skills and manners. 

Stanton Elementary Principal Matt Miller incorporates seven habits in "The Leader in Me" program. They are:

1. Be proactive; you are in charge.
2. Begin with the end in mind; have a plan.
3. Put first things first; work first then play.
4. Think win-win so that everyone can win.
5. Seek to understand and then be understood; listen before you speak.
6. Synergize; working together is better.
7. Sharpen the saw; learn to live in balance.

The program helps students understand their self-worth and that they can dream big and accomplish their goals. 

The intention of the seven habits is to empower students, capture their eagerness for education, and give them the tools to surpass their greatest potential, Miller said.

 "The children decided what strengths they characterized," said counselor Cathy Westbury. "From that they decided who would perform what task for the luncheon. Each student has something special to offer."

Stephanie Battelle of Fenton, and a mother of three said, "Eye contact, listening to people and not always being the one to talk is so important. So many children are able to play sports and sing, but manners are falling to the wayside, and they are so important."

The jobs for the children included greeting guests, giving a tour of the school, being a speaker, serving food and cleaning up.

The day started with student greeters Noah Scott and Jasmine Manuel welcoming Daley and Tamme to the school and providing a tour.

Jameson Horrath, favorite class P.E., introduced Daley and Tamme to the third-grade lunch, and Andrew Strand served salad.   

Fifth-grade students, including Owen McGuire and Caitlyn Smith, both 10, ate lunch and conversed with the guests.  McGuire did the honors of introducing the veterans to the lunch room. 

The servers for lunch were fifth-grade students Katie Huffman and Madi Desens who said, "Getting to meet these important people is so amazing."

Logan Cable introduced the guests to the fourth-grade lunch period where dessert was served.

Fourth-grader David Bullare offered a choice of pumpkin pie or brownies to Daley and Tamme.  Both chose the pumpkin pie.

During lunch Battelle and Westbury helped children remember not to reach across the table, to keep checking if their guests needed more to drink, and to remove plates when needed. 

Throughout all the lunch periods different children were responsible for taking pictures. 

Following lunch fourth-grade students Sara Battelle and Ashley Winters interviewed the guests. 

"How does it feel to be away from your family for a long time?" Winters asked Tamme.

"Being away from my wife is the toughest part of my job," he said. "Luckily we have Skype, which allows us to see our family and talk with them.  It helps us get through it."

Ashley Winters asked Tamme: "Why did you choose to serve the United States?"

"I have wanted to be in the army since I was a little boy," he said. "The army develops people to be better and I wanted to be a better person."

Winters asked Tamme, "How do you use the seven habits we follow in our school in the military?"

"The United States Army uses the acronym LDRSHIP as the backbone of the army values," he said. "Our values mirror your seven habits.  L stands for loyalty, D for duty, R for respect, S for selfless service, H for honor, I for integrity and P for personal courage."

"How was your lunch with the Stanton students?" Battelle asked Daley.

"Outstanding lunch, great food and your school showed a great example of the seven habits," he said.

At the end of the lunch there were handshakes and goodbyes.

Both Westbury and Battelle said, "We are so proud of the students today."