Learning Patriotism
TAYLORVILLE — Sixth grade students in Mrs. Cathy Schaeffer’s class at St. Mary School spent the day on Friday, September 9 learning about patriotism. Their day kicked off with flag etiquette training from members of VFW #4995. Students learned the proper way to fold, raise, and lower the flag. Flag raising will become part of the sixth-graders’ daily responsibilities at the school.
Following the flag training, the 6th graders created memorial posters commemorating 9/11. This activity followed reading the book, “What Were the Twin Towers?” The students shared what they learned from the book by adding “Did you know…” facts to their artwork.
Continuing with their studies on patriotism, the 6th graders were
fortunate to be able to enjoy a Google Meet with author Tara Krohn, who wrote “Unfurling the Freedom Flag: A 9/11 Story.” The book tells the story of how the Freedom Flag was created and designed. Krohn is a third grade teacher in Virginia, and she is a board member of the Freedom Flag Foundation. Krohn read the book to the St. Mary’s 6th graders during the meet. She also explained her experience of teaching the day the attacks happened on 9/11, and she shared her memories of a friend who had perished in the attacks. She encouraged the students to keep the history of 9/11 alive so we may never forget the courage of all who lost their lives that day.
Krohn told the 6th graders that as a student, she had not been a
very good reader. She inspired the students to keep trying at tasks that may be difficult. Krohn had persevered through her challenges, eventually becoming an author and teacher. She feels it is her calling to continue to share the story of 9/11 and the Freedom Flag. Krohn explained the process of writing and editing the story, and she even showed the original storyboard. Students were very surprised to learn that Krohn does not receive any money from the sales of the book.
The 6th graders had first learned about the Freedom Flag in an article in the Scholastic News magazine. For more information about the Freedom Flag, visit www.freedomflagfoundation. org.
