Tuesday, a day after the United States honored veterans on Memorial Day, two World War II veterans sat in on the Warsaw School Board meeting.
Veterans Joe Harris and Paul Grossnickle were in attendance to hear about Warsaw Community High School seniors Kyle Tucker's and Deon Shafer's World War II veterans research and recently published book "Final Chapters: Legacies of the World War II Generation."The presentation was one of several given by Warsaw students on various topics.
David Hoffert, WCHS social studies teacher and adviser to Tucker and Shafer, said the two young men traveled all over the place interviewing WWII veterans, from Warsaw to Pearl Harbor. They spent many hours going out and speaking to veterans. The interviews were put on a Web site, www.hofferthistoryclass.com/
However, after a while, Hoffert said they realized they had some amazing stories and wanted to share them more. They then hooked up with a publishing company to get the book published. The book was written, edited and designed by Tucker, Shafer and other students who wanted to get involved.
Shafer then introduced Harris and Grossnickle at the meeting, with both men receiving a standing ovation. Shafer and Tucker then presented their video on "Final Chapters." The video previously was presented at EdCom in March.
After the video, Hoffert said this project has a lasting legacy. More than 300 copies of the book have gone out in the community. Copies of the book can be viewed at all Warsaw Schools libraries, Warsaw Community Public Library and the Kosciusko County Historical Society.
"We want to tell this story as much as we can," said Hoffert. "They're such incredible stories - it's been our honor and privilege to document these stories so they're not lost."
School Board Vice President Dan Robinson asked them what they personally got out of the experience.
Shafer said it's been the new friendships they've received. The experience was new with every veteran they met. He said they are not just stories or interviews, but relationships that will go on.
This year, Tucker said they interviewed more than 30 veterans. "That's 30 new friendships," he said. "It's fun to just talk to them and bridge the gap between two generations."
Hoffert said some of the veterans were not used to talking and telling their stories. They were very guarded. But Tucker and Shafer became like their long-lost grandchildren and friends.
Robinson thanked Hoffert, Shafer and Tucker for their efforts. He said the WWII generation suffered so much involuntarily during the Depression than voluntarily gave of themselves during WWII. "I'm embarrassed to say that our generation is just giving it away," Robinson said.
Shafer said their interviews with the veterans is now in the Library of Congress. Tucker said they want students to read the first-person accounts.
"We've learned so much from the first-hand accounts," Tucker said.
WCHS had three cars compete in the 14th annual Indiana Math, Science and Technology Education Alliance Super Mileage Challenge April 27 at O'Reilly Raceway Park, Indianapolis.
The WCHS team came back with a marketing and promotional trophy.
Joe Bryan, adviser, said the IMSTEA started the challenge about a dozen years ago. Eight years ago, teacher Mark Neukam got WCHS involved. Bryan first got involved three years ago.
Each of the cars WCHS students built represents thousands of hours of work by the students.
Ben Bryan, student, said they had many mechanical issues with their Unlimited car this year and were only able to run two of the three rounds. For the two rounds, their car averaged 945 miles per gallon. Their Experimental car did place second out of the five participating cars. This was the first year for the Experimental category.
Bryan said Matt Smith and Troy Martin of DePuy were a big help on the engines for the team this year. The two DePuy employees went down to Indianapolis for the race with them and helped out there, too.
The WCHS team had many local sponsors, Bryan said. "Without the sponsors, this couldn't have happened."
The marketing and promotional award was for the team's Web site. Bryan said student Trevor Rouch was instrumental in the work that went into putting up the Web site. Rouch thanked Hoffert for helping with the computer program to get the Web site going.
The first student presentation at the school board Tuesday was a performance of Eisenhower Elementary School's Suzuki strings program. Eisenhower Principal Melissa Rees said the strings program began last year with then-principal Chris Gensinger and continued to this year.
While it started with 11 students, there now are 21 students in the string instrument group. There are three groups divided into three levels.
At the meeting Tuesday, the students performed in large groups, small groups and solos.
At Harrison Elementary School, Principal Randy Polston said a sign language club was started by request of a group of students. The students wanted to learn sign language to communicate to another Harrison student with a hearing impairment. During the meeting Tuesday, several of the students signed their names, family signs and their ABC's. They also signed the Pledge of Allegiance at the start of the meeting.
Another group of Harrison students were recognized for winning the Gold Medal Award in the elementary school division with their Web site titled "The School of Kindness."
The Web site was the entry in the Global Virtual Classroom Challenge for the fourth-grade classes of Rick Glass and Judy Kinsey.
Kinsey said they also won a merit award focusing on helping.
The Edgewood Middle School and Madison Elementary School chess teams were recognized. Edgewood won second place at state competition, and Madison placed eighth. Each team competed against 31 other teams from around the state.
Liz McGuire, Eisenhower Elementary School sixth-grade student, was recognized for winning first prize at the School Transportation Association of Indiana poster contest. For winning, McGuire received a blue ribbon, the appropriate certificates and a $50 savings bond, according to Director of Transportation Della Swain.
