Report card

Students from two local elementary schools joined 2,000 fifth-grade

students from throughout the county who participated in Orange County’s

“Walk of Honor” in observance of Veterans Day.

Fifth-graders from Sun View and Oka elementary schools took part in

the tours held at the Santa Ana Civic Center.

The tours included an exhibit of military uniforms and weapons as well

as an explanation of our country’s highest military award for bravery. It

also afforded students the opportunity to meet one of Orange County’s

eight Congressional Medal of Honor recipients.

“Our students had a great time,” said Oka fifth-grade teacher Jannette

Johnson. “They got to meet real, live war veterans -- one of whom was a

Pearl Harbor survivor and who was in a few other military conflicts.”

Johnson said that nearly 100 Oka students took part in the tour.

Funding for the project was provided by the Orange County Board of

Supervisors.

Students were in the zone

Sun View Elementary School’s after-school extended day learning

program, The Learning Zone, honored members of the Huntington Beach

Police and Fire departments.

Among the 120 in attendance for the day’s special event was Huntington

Beach Police Lt. Clyde Stewart and officers Ed Kennedy and Bobby Frahm,

as well as Huntington Beach Fire Captain Bob Glenn and firefighters Dan

Keprta, Greg Lopez and Tom Wilson.

Learning Zone students and parents honored these heroes with a pizza

dinner, said the project director Rick Riddell. Students were able to

talk about their thoughts on the importance of these heroes in our

community, in light of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11.

“The students were really excited to see our policemen and firemen in

person,” Riddell said. “They had posted signs and banners that had

messages written all over them, words of thanks for the job they do.”

Following the open discussion, a group of 25 Learning Zone students

gave a sign language performance to a recording of Lee Greenwood’s

rendition of the popular song, “God Bless The USA.”

Students also performed the song in front of more than 1,000 people at

the National Mentor Summit, held at Disney’s California Adventure theme

park.