GUERNSEY – The Veteran’s Day celebration is once again going to be a big deal at Guernsey-Sunrise schools.

The local VFW has such a profound presence in the community that patriotism is the norm and to hear about anything less in other communities is a shocker to the local kids. From the kids in the choir singing the national anthem at sporting events to the elementary kids leading the Pledge of Allegiance at school assemblies, there is a serious nature to the children of Platte County.

The local VFW 4471 brought in volunteers from their organization last week to the kindergarten class in Guernsey-Sunrise school. They partnered with group organizer and kindergarten teacher Stacia Cook to tie-dye T-shirts in red, white and blue stars for the kindergarten kids.

Mrs. Cook's kindergarten class was already preparing for the Veteran's Day remembrance that will be held at Guernsey-Sunrise High School on Nov. 11. The kids were learning from Sarah Hort how to tie dye special red, white and blue t-shirts that they will wear on Veteran's Day. The Guernsey VFW 4471 and Auxiliary were on hand to assist the kids. The weather was in the 30's so these little troopers braved the cold in the school's courtyard to formulate their creations.

The group tie-dyes T-shirts each year, and this year, knowing that the Veteran’s Day celebration and remembrance was going to kick off with the kindergarten kids leading the Pledge of Allegiance, it just seemed like the logical and patriotic thing to do, outfitting the kids in the patriotic T-shirts that they tie-dyed.

This is the eighth year that the VFW has come in to assist with the tie-dying and usually the VFW brings about 6 volunteers.

“Usually there’s a half-dozen of us,” said VFW Department of Wyoming Chairman for Citizenship Education Don Mack. “I’ve been working with the kids for a couple of weeks on the Pledge of Allegiance. They generally know the pledge, but what I try to do is get them to say it together, as opposed to everyone rattling off at their own speed. I want them to say it kind of like a choral reading because they are going to lead the Pledge of Allegiance on Veteran’s Day. I've worked with the students to talk with them about the Pledge, where it came from, what it means, and a lot of flag etiquette.”

One of the activities that has traditionally been done leading up to the event is to tie-dye white T-shirts red and blue so that the kindergarten students have a distinctively patriotic look and also a memento of their day.

“We are trying something new this year by tie-dying with Sarah Mosely who is a local woman who specializes in tie dying,” Mack said. “VFW and Auxiliary members are on-hand to help the students and teachers to do the tie-dye. It's been great fun in the past and promises to be again.”

The Guernsey Veterans Day celebration will be in the Guernsey-Sunrise School East Gym, beginning at 9 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 11. Some of the school's musical groups will perform and according to Guernsey-Sunrise fourth grade teacher, Daphne Malcom, “Don Mack and members of the VFW have been working with the fourth grade on Flag Etiquette. They are also, along with with American Legion Auxiliary, teaching the fourth grade how to fold a flag and what each fold of the flag stands for. The fourth grade will be folding flags at the Veteran’s Day program.”