P.S. 216 salutes veterans

Students at P.S. 216 put on a star-spangled show on Tuesday, November 18, to pay tribute to the nation’s veterans.

Before Pre-K class 207 performed its renditions of “God Bless America” and “Yankee Doodle Dandy,” Principal Donna Neglia took to the podium to greet the parent, student and veteran-filled auditorium to discuss the importance of the day’s event.

“Pride, determination, selflessness, detection to duty and integrity,” Neglia said, are “all the qualities needed to serve a cause larger than oneself.”

Veterans from Marlboro Post 1437, the Kings County commander of the American Legion, and the Kings County commander of the Jewish War Veterans, were all there to watch the children’s salute and to accept special awards.

The P.S. 216 Band played a “Military Medley” and classes 514,512 and 509 put on special performances including a Veteran’s Day history tribute and a Veteran’s Day class poem.

Founder of the Veteran’s Day show tradition Ann Pollack took to the stage just after the P.S. 216 Chorus sang “God Bless America” and “Proud to be an American.”

Pollack, who comes from a family of veterans, said she got the idea for the show “about 20 years ago.

“I walked into the Marlboro Post and was greeted by a very nice guy by the name of Pat Malone,” said Pollack. “I said, I’d like to do something with my school and your post to pay tribute to the veterans and he said, ‘Sure, let’s do it.’ That’s where the tradition of a Veterans Day program began.”

Neglia said she was “thrilled to continue such a tradition at this school.
“They [the veterans] didn’t go to war because they loved fighting,” said Neglia. “They were ordinary people who responded in extraordinary ways.”