Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Presidents Day and Memorial Day. These are just a few holidays that MCPS gives students and teachers off yearly. Although all of these holidays are significant for their own reasons, one key holiday is missing: Veterans Day. Veterans Day is much more relevant to WCHS students than some of these other holidays as it can connect to their lives more directly given that many WCHS students have a loved one who served in the military.
Students who have a family member or close friend who served may want to use the day as an opportunity to thank them for all they sacrificed for the United States by spending time with them and displaying their gratitude and admiration. However, it is difficult for students to celebrate and honor their veterans while also having to manage a full school day alongside hours of homework.
In addition to honoring living veterans, Veterans Day is also a holiday to honor those who sacrificed their lives for the United States. Some students may personally know someone in this category or have the desire to honor and respect fallen soldiers through various efforts like wreath-laying ceremonies and parades. These activities are often midday, which makes attending both them and school impossible for students. Since MCPS is so close to Washington D.C., there is an abundance of Veterans Day activities nearby for students to honor those who have served. One of these is the Veterans Day National Ceremony, which is held each year at Arlington National Cemetery at 11 a.m. Because of the timing, students are never able to attend events like these.
In addition to students, teachers and staff members should also be able to properly celebrate Veterans Day. Some may be veterans themselves and should have the day to be honored for their service instead of being required to work. Additionally, if staff members have loved ones who served the country, they should have the opportunity to honor them as well.
According to The Maryland Department of Veterans and Military Affairs, there are approximately 360,000 veterans and 100,000 active duty service members who live in Maryland. This means that there is no shortage of veterans to be recognized in this area for their service.
Indeed, students do occasionally get a day off on Veterans Day on some years because the holiday is consistently on Nov 11. This means that some years it falls on a weekend, so students already do not have school. However, this only occurs two out of every seven years which is a small percentage of students’ years in school. Additionally, it is essential that students can properly celebrate the holiday while in school, as afterward, many will go off to college and be unable to conveniently connect in person with family and friends who served.
Like any other holiday, many families form traditions for Veterans Day. Whether it be attending a wreath-laying ceremony, visiting a veterans affairs hospital or simply showing gratitude to those around them who served, everyone should have the opportunity to participate, including students.
Many organizations, including the federal government, banks and some businesses, are closed for Veterans Day and MCPS should be no exception. Although the county only has limited days that they can give off to students and staff, Veterans Day is a key addition to the list of these days as having school on this day is disappointing to veterans and their loved ones who are unable to use the day to celebrate them.
