In honor of Veterans Day, this week we welcomed two special guests to campus.

Our speaker in Lower and Middle School Chapels was Staff Sergeant Kelvia Flores, who serves full-time as a Chaplain’s Assistant in the Connecticut Army National Guard. One of her roles is to execute the last honors a soldier receives at their funeral, presenting the ceremonial American flag to the soldier's family. SSG Flores demonstrated the correct folding and presentation of the flag and shared the story of her military service. SSG Flores is a close friend of first-grade teacher, Veronica Pascuzzi.

Our Upper School Chapel speaker was Specialist John Griffith, a veteran who served in the army from 2008 to 2012, and toured in Iraq from 2009 to 2010. He was both a paratrooper and a combat medic. He describes himself as a husband, father, nurse, amateur farmer, and a veteran. He is also a close friend of fourth-grade teacher, Melika Matlack. Mr. Griffith offered our students an authentic, moving perspective on his military experience, inviting everyone present to engage the complex and challenging ethical questions of war. Members of the Wounded Warrior Club on the Merle-Smith Campus helped to plan and lead Chapel. This is a recording of Mr. Griffith’s message for those who would like to listen along.

Thank you to both our guests for sharing their stories with our community. We are grateful for their message, and their service to our country.

Editor's Note: Take a look at moments from several special Veterans Day visits and activities in the album below:

To our heroes near and far, thank you for your service!