PACE — Michael H. Griggs, the command chaplain at Naval Air Station Whiting Field, said S.S. Dixon Primary students inspire him.
Griggs was an honored guest during a Friday morning Patriot Day event at S.S. Dixon Primary. In addition to welcoming several enlisted service members from NAS Whiting Field, deputies and first responders from the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office and the Pace Fire Rescue District were also present.
“It gave me hope for America — a new burst of energy; because that is where your future doctors, lawyers, governors, military and leaders are,” Griggs said.
The event featured resident Chloe Channell singing the National Anthem along with Boy Scout Troop 400 members, who replaced an old American flag with a new one.
Carla Moulyet, a second-grade teacher who led the school committee that organized the event, said the day’s goal was to show school children what it means to be a patriot.
“The patriot represents our community, because of the patriot mascot at the high school, and we start them out as the patriotic ponies,” she said. “They need to really understand what a patriot is. It’s not just a mascot, but what it stands for — honor and respect for your country.”
Many students with military parents are already familiar with showing patriotic pride. Principal Nancy Haupt said the school has more than 100 students with a military affiliation.
Haupt said teachers plan to explore America’s past this week by exploring historical figures and making patriotic-themed crafts.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: S.S. Dixon Primary celebrates Patriot Day