Pride and patriotism were part of an early Veterans Day assembly, when social studies students welcomed USCG Petty Officer 2nd Class Christopher Delaney, who is now a Suffolk County corrections officer and an advocate for mental health funding for veterans with PTSD. The assembly was coordinated by teacher Ruth Squillace with assistance from her third period Participation in Government class. The seniors helped secure breakfast food donations for the guests, decorated for the event and created the educational materials for the 11th grade US History and Government students in attendance. Members of the Long Island Chapter of the Patriot Guard, Long Island Chapter of Rolling Thunder, Operation Veronica, Congressman Lee Zeldin and local VFW members were invited guests.

In a cross-curricular endeavor, the junior class, under the coordination of English teachers Jean Branna, Sara Trenn, and Ed Storck, read “The Things They Carried,” about American soldiers in the Vietnam War and in turn collected and carried to the assembly approximately 200 shoeboxes of items including M&Ms, K-Cups, hand and foot warmers and Power Bars for Operation Veronica, which ships them to American troops who are serving overseas.