The sweet voices of French Ford Middle School students serenaded veterans on Monday at the school's annual celebration of Veterans Day. The people packed in the auditorium learned that not only were they celebrating veterans, but also the 200th birthday of the "Star Spangled Banner" and Nevada's sesquicentennial.
Principal Robert Lindsay thanked the veterans in attendance for their service to the country as each branch of the military was introduced and received a round of applause.
The student speakers were Adia Bengochea, Colton Brooks, Adam Dossey, Mackenzie Fears, Raquel Roederer, Alethea Houston, Utahnna Andersen, Diego Manzo, Triniti Gordon and Kole Mattson. Each student told the crowd a bit of history of the state of Nevada, and the assembled fifth and sixth grade students sang songs in between.
Led by music teacher Mary Ann Miller and accompanied on piano by Joan Munk, the students and some audience members sang "Home Means Nevada," the "Star Spangled Banner," "Nevada is the Promised Land," the "Winnemucca Song," "Humboldt Cannonball," "When It's Nighttime in Nevada," "This Land is Your Land (Nevada Style)" and the "Silver State March."
Miller said the students practiced a lot, even during their lunch hour. She said they did a great job.
Student musicians included Morgan Meierholtz, Brittany Gotchal, Elizabeth Peterson, Kaden Wigle, Kenzi Dowd-Smith, Nina Ellett and Nikolas Jung on guitar.
The recorder ensemble included Natalie Contreras, Mayra Rivas, Dania Monroy, Cheyann Hatler, Alethea Houston and Triniti Gordon.
The orff ensemble included Kenzie Dockins, Sam Roth, Anthony Hemp, Justin Horton, Alonso Mendoza, Anthony Osborne, Sawyer Gregersen, Austen Rorex, Sean Herrera, Tai Combes, Addison McDonald, William Richardson, Hannah Salcido, Jovanie Guizar, Brooke Howard, Robert Rangel, Sierra Fears, Kylie George, Michael Adcock, Anjolie Karrer, Alex Esquivel, Matthew Barrett, Sammie Prothro and Casalyn Perkinson. (An orff ensemble is made of instruments like the glockenspiel and xylophone.)
Rick Napier, Ronald Cwetna and Jim Driscoll, all veterans, said the French Ford Veterans Day program was really excellent and very entertaining.
"You could tell the kids put in a lot of effort," said Napier.[[In-content Ad]]
