With the entire school in attendance, along with veterans of several war periods, Highlands council president Joann Olszewski and local residents in attendance, the Highlands Elementary School student council retired the American flag in front of the Highlands Elementary School and raised a flag flown over the Capitol at a moving ceremony honoring the borough’s veterans of all wars.
Student Council Advisors Lauren McBain and Megan Harbstreet thanked everyone for attending the ceremony designed and enacted by the fourth fifth and sixth grades, and thanked the McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Base Honor Guard who conducted the lowering of the old flag and the raising of the flag presented to the school by Congressman Frank Pallone.
Student Council President John Moore welcomed the guests and led the group in a pledge of allegiance, with the student body presenting the National Anthem. The choral group also ended the ceremony with the new flag aloft singing “You’re a Grand Old Flag.”
Each of the student council students participated in the ceremony, including student council vice president Sean LaRue, Secretary Isabelle Thorpe and treasurer Jack Hanratty. The officers read a history of the American flag, from the time it was first designed and sewn to the 20th century when it contains the 50 stars and 13 stripes. Students explained the meaning of the stars, number of stripes and reasons for the colors.
The ceremony was first conceived by School principal William Jacoutot after the flagpole, one of the highest points on Route 36 and a focal point to travelers along Route 36, was damaged during a December storm.
Local contractor CharRon, headed by Charles LaRue, the parent of children in the school district, offered to make repairs so the flag could be hoisted throughout the winter; however, continued poor weather and the necessity to bring heavy equipment to the front of the school property in order to make repairs delayed the actual restoration for a short time until weather improved.
With the reception of a flag from the Congressman that had flown over the Capitol, Jacoutot and the Student Council advisors decided to hold a formal ceremony to raise the new flag and honor the borough’s veterans.
With veterans in the audience for the outdoor ceremony, both McBain and Harbstreet, as well as Jacoutot and the student body, thanked the borough’s veterans, and indicated their pride in the number who have served the community in all wars.
After lowering the well-used American flag and folding it, the Honor Guard from Joint Base presented it to Jacoutot. The principal announced the flag will be encased and remain on display within the school.
The Honor Guard also hoisted the new flag before saluting it and tiring their formation.
Student Council chorus members included fourth grade students Sydney Sanfratello, Gavin Devine-Nickerson, Isabella Jenkins, Amellia Penschow and Annabelle Clark, fifth grade chorus members Isabelle Thorpe, Dominique Baros, Lorilai Mannix, Isabella Roga, Isaiah Snow-Hernandez, Teagan Sachok-Ross and Lill Reeves, and sixth grade students Kaitlin Guiney and Gianna Way.
Students, advisors and Jacoutot gave special thanks to the Joint Base honor guard, hometown veterans and recognizing them as “someone who helped protect our freedom” and Congressman Palone for presenting the flag to the school.
