Birches Elementary School students show their civic pride
WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP -- Birches Elementary School staff and students showed their civic pride on Sept. 9, taking part in the American Public Education Foundation 9/12 Generation Project's National Anthem Sing-A-Long.
At exactly 1 p.m., the Birches community stopped whatever they were doing and, with the music playing over the school loudspeaker, belted out the Star-Spangled Banner. This is the third annual, simultaneous national sing-a-long, with Birches taking part last year -- among 277,065 students, teachers and community members nationwide. The project aims to bring students together -- as the world came together -- on Sept. 12, 2001.
In addition, the Birches fifth-graders gathered around the flag pole at the front of the building, where they sang while staring up at the flag. When the song was complete, they pointed at the flag with small ribbons of red yard tied around their index fingers. These "Ribbons of Hope" are to remind the students to do a good deed on Sunday in honor of 9/11.
For more information on the national event, visit www.theapef.org/national-anthem-sing-a-long.
This item submitted by Matthew Pesyna, Washington Township School District.