Since 2009, the family that is Keystone Academy has been honoring our service men and women on Veteran’s Day with an hour long assembly that has brought grown men to the brink of tears, offering statements like “This is the first time I’ve ever been recognized” and “It’s good to know that someone cares.”
The program typically includes a student play, vocal soloists, questions for Vets to answer, and a reception after. Veterans are invited by Keystone families to participate in the program. All of this producing a feeling of deep respect and goodwill for the men and women who have sacrificed so much for the freedoms and quality of life that we enjoy. Demonstrating the virtue of gratitude, the students offer to the best that our nation has produced a loving tribute. They were thanking them for their service.
That ability to say “Thank you” runs deep in the tradition that is Keystone. Just recently, the middle school team received the kind of moral focus writing that evidences a kind of learning we don’t discuss nearly enough. Confronted with challenges from all sides, the words on the page spoke to the gratitude this student felt towards a his teachers for never walking away from him, for being people he could depend on, and for never giving up on him. He was thanking them for their service.
We make a difference in the lives of others when we intentionally make the time to appreciate them. What that effort says is that “We care” and value the relationship we have with you. It means that we are not afraid to make an investment in you, that in doing so we believe in you, and that we will continue to be here to support you. We thank you for being you and we know that we can make a difference in the lives of your family and our community.
The Keystone family never forgets, never gives up, and is here to make a difference.