NAHANT — Johnson Elementary School opened its doors to community members on Friday morning for a Veterans Day concert in honor of the residents who have sacrificed their time and safety to protect the nation.
By 9 a.m. that morning, a crowd had already gathered inside the cafeteria for the event, with Music Director Jessica Puga leading the charge as the school’s conductor. Principal Heather Castonguay was the first to speak, where she welcomed the audience and expressed why the holiday is special for her.
“As the principal and the wife of a veteran, I feel especially honored to lead this celebration for your service and sacrifice… Our Johnson School community values courage, integrity, and gratitude,” Castonguay said.
After the Pledge of Allegiance and The Star-Spangled Banner, the fifth and sixth-grade students performed songs like “For the Good of the Many,” “You’re a Grand Old Flag,” the Armed Forces Melody, as well as “Proud of Our Veterans,” a song by Teresa Jennings.
The fifth-grade performers were: Xuxa Anderson, Bowie Belcher, Costa Billias, Nicholas Carromero, Charles Dam, Callie Doucette, Murphy Dowling, Connor Dunham, Aidan Elmer, Daniel Foster, David Horrigan, Reed Lamothe, Amelia Lauck, Greta Mandee, Eloisa Martin, Wilson Neville, Lila Smethurst, Anthony Spinucci, Nicholas Steiner, Dylan Sweazy, Camden Tria, and Jax Tria.
The sixth-grade performers were: Galileo Anderson-Sinclair, Lucy Bell, Jace Carrington, Mary DiLisio, Madison Doucette, James Marsh, Destiny Martinez Alemonte, Jake O’Connor, Bingham Palmer, Eleanor Pitney, Sunny Sweazy, Marlowe Williams, and Scarlett York.
One student noted that the song, “America the Beautiful,” holds a special place in the hearts of the school community, explaining that “this song reminds us how special our country is. … As we sing ‘America the Beautiful,’ we celebrate the beauty and heart of our nation, and the people and places that make America.”
Select Board Chair Rob Tibbo said his first impression upon walking inside the school was that he was “absolutely thrilled to see how many people are here to honor our veterans.”
“It’s a great day for Nahant, and I’m honored to be here,” he said.
Police Chief Timothy Furlong also shared that sentiment.
“It’s a great event for a quintessential small-town community that gathered in support of our veterans. …This is a great turnout, probably the biggest turnout I’ve seen for this event,” Furlong said.
Rep. Sean Reid, who spoke to the crowd during the event, said it was an honor to be among the audience as they united to support veterans in town.
“Today is special because it gives us the chance to pause and truly think about those who put on the uniform to protect us. On this holiday, we can stand together, say ‘Thank you,’ and show respect during ceremonies like this one. … But that gratitude shouldn’t stop when the holiday passes,” Reid said. “We can honor veterans all year long; it can be as simple as a ‘Thank you,’ or just being a good neighbor.”
Toward the closing of the ceremony, the veterans were given a huge, colorful wreath in their honor, which is set to be displayed during the Town’s Veterans Day Ceremony on Nov. 11 at Veterans Park.
Town Administrator Alison Nieto said Johnson Elementary School did “such a great job.”
“You can tell they put a lot of effort and practice into today. … It’s just such a great way to remember veterans in Nahant and all over the country,” Nieto said.
