We held our annual Veterans Day Assembly on Thursday, November 9th. This assembly is a special day that we look forward to every year at OMS as we honor veterans in our community.
Leading up to the event, students in all grades at OMS had the opportunity to "Give a Hand" to a Veteran by contributing to our wall art display at the back of the Cafetorium. The Veterans Day Assembly is a privilege for our Grade 8 students as they have the opportunity to interview, perform, and participate in the assembly. Sixth and seventh graders can look forward to participating in this event once they are eighth graders.
The day began in our Learning Commons with a breakfast for our veterans. Afterwards, students conducted interviews of the veterans. During the assembly, student interviewers shared their veteran's story with their peers. The student interviewers did an amazing job listening to the stories of the veterans and exercised their public speaking skills as they presented their story during the assembly. In addition to the veterans that were present at OMS, students also heard audio clips and viewed pictures from veterans who are currently on active duty. There were special performances by the OMS Band and Chorus throughout the assembly.
Every year, one veteran is selected as the OMS Veteran of the Year. This award is given to a participant in the assembly who made an impact on their country during their time of service and who continues to make an impact on their community today. This year, Mark Hausammann was honored as the OMS Veteran of the Year. Mr. Hausammann is a Stoughton native and attended the O'Donnell Middle School when it was previously called Stoughton Junior High School. He is a 1966 Stoughton High School graduate and a highly decorated Vietnam War veteran. Mr. Hausammann served in the 101st Airborne Division of the US Army and actively supports veterans today.
Special thanks to the local veterans who participated - Glen Camire, Joe Fustolo, Matthew Gada, Mark Hausammann, John Marchant, Katherine McFadden, Michael Pazyra, Bill Snyder, Jacob Tapper, Teresa Tapper, and Doug Wall. Mike Child, Joseph DeVito, and Pamela Starkie also participated virtually.
OMS Student Interviewers - Tana Bernard, Izzy Bukhenik, Olivia Felton, Logan Fontaine, Anderson Gomez Romero, Ezra La Motte, Sydney Leahy, Angel Mauras, Eva Musatov, Joey Toupin, and Andrea Udeh.
Thank you to Mr. Nestor Camara, Mr. John Mills, and the custodial staff for setting up for our assembly and then resetting the Cafetorium so it was ready for our lunches. Thank you to Mr. Guy Koppe, Ms. Leona Hojlo, and the food services team for providing a great breakfast for our veterans. Thank you to Mrs. Bauman-Field and Mr. DeFrias for preparing the Chorus and Band performances. Finally, a special thank you to Mrs. Valair for putting together this amazing event. The Veteran's Day Assembly is a day we look forward to every year at OMS.
