YOUR AD HERE »

PHOTOS: Frisco Elementary School celebrates Veterans Day with special commemoration assembly 

News |

Cody Jones

Share this story
Cody Jones/Summit Daily News
Several veterans stand for the National Anthem during Frisco Elementary's Veterans Day commemoration ceremony on Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025.
Cody Jones/Summit Daily News

Every year, Frisco Elementary School takes a moment to honor the veterans living in the Summit County community by hosting a commemoration ceremony. 

This fall, students attending Frisco Elementary got the opportunity to hear from several veterans on Veterans Day, Tuesday, Nov. 11. The special commemoration event, honoring their service and sacrifices made for the country, began with the Summit County veterans arriving at the school in the early afternoon hours on Tuesday in order to enjoy a luncheon.

In addition to lunch, veterans also received gift bags sponsored by Alpine Bank and the Frisco Elementary Parent Teacher Student Association. 

Once the luncheon wrapped up, the veterans then got the opportunity to stand before  the entirety of the kindergarten through fifth grade school via an assembly in the school gymnasium. 

Show CaptionsHide Captions

During the nearly 60-minute commemoration event, nearly two dozen veterans were recognized for their service and sacrifice as members of the military. 

The ceremony began with the presentation of the colors by Boy Scout troop No. 186 and Girl Scout troops No. 54421 and No. 56334. After handing out roses to all the veterans, the scouts led the school through the Pledge of Allegiance before the school’s fifth graders performed “America the Beautiful.”

Frisco Elementary School principal Todd Kirkendall then welcomed all the attendees and explained how veterans have made an impact in his life.

“As you all know, Veterans Day is very important to me,” Kirkendall said. “My grandfather, my daddy, were both in the Army. Dad always talked about those core values in the Army. … And my dad would work very hard to instill all of those things in us. It was very similar to our graduate profile that you all work with in class.”

Cody Jones/Summit Daily News
Frisco Elementary fifth graders sing the national anthem on Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025.
Cody Jones/Summit Daily News

Following the welcome message from Kirkendall, all of the veterans in attendance were honored with several student tribute poems. One poem was read by third grade students, and another was read by the students from the fourth grade.

All of the veterans then received the opportunity to be honored by presenting their name, branch of service and years served. Although they were bustling with end-of-the-day energy, the students, sitting spread out across the school gymnasium, attentively listened to each veteran. 

The veterans represented a wide range of military branches with a large contingency being members of the U.S. Navy. 

One of the student’s favorite parts of the commemoration ceremony was getting the opportunity to have a video call with Commander Justin Reeves of the U.S. Navy. Currently serving on the USS Colorado stationed in Hawaii, Reeves explained his job to the kids and what it is like working on a submarine.

“This is the fourth submarine I have served on, and I have been in the Navy for 23 years,” Reeves said. “We are currently ported in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and we are doing some work on the submarine to do some repairs and improvements before Colorado resumes conducting regular operations in the Pacific Ocean.”

Commander Reeves even opened up the floor for questions, allowing students to ask everything from how the submarine stores food, how they play video games and how long he has been in the submarine at one time. 

Cody Jones/Summit Daily News
Commander Justin Reeves talks to students at Frisco Elementary during the school’s commemoration event on Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025.
Cody Jones/Summit Daily News

U.S. Navy veteran Roman Moore concluded the speaking portion of the event by providing a keynote reflection. Moore’s speech focused on how the school district’s graduate profile is preparing them for life well beyond the hallways of Frisco Elementary. 

With the graduate profile emphasizing curiosity, courage, preparedness, growth and global awareness, Moore believes Frisco Elementary students will be ready for whatever comes their way in the years ahead.

“Patriotism kind of encompasses all of it,” Moore said. “It encompasses all of what your graduate profiles are, all of what duty and honor is. And patriotism is the love of your country because the country you live in gives you so many opportunities. You are guaranteed an opportunity. What you do with that opportunity is up to you.”

Before students returned to their classrooms, “Taps” was performed by Frisco Elementary teacher Melanie Hilden before the retiring of the colors by all of the scouts.

Share this story
Local
See more

Support Local Journalism

Support Local Journalism

As a Summit Daily News reader, you make our work possible.

Summit Daily is embarking on a multiyear project to digitize its archives going back to 1989 and make them available to the public in partnership with the Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection. The full project is expected to cost about $165,000. All donations made in 2023 will go directly toward this project.

Every contribution, no matter the size, will make a difference.