Providence Christian School of Texas Class Four students recently celebrated Patriot Week, which culminated with Patriot Day on May 10. During the week, each student presented a report on an American hero. Special speakers, many of whom are modern day patriots, addressed the students.
On Friday, May 10, students came dressed in character to participate in different periods of American history. The day started with chapel, where Alison Balch, daughter of Michael J. Smith, spoke about her father as a modern day patriot. The pilot of NASA’s Space Shuttle Challenger, Smith died tragically when the spacecraft exploded in 1986. She talked about the lessons she learned from her father and her eventual conversion to Christianity.
In the Modern Day Patriot room, FBI Agent Andre Bires, father of two former Providence students, spoke about investigations. Special FBI SWAT Agent Don McPherson then let some of the students try on his gear, such as a bullet-proof vest, helmet with night scope, and gas mask.
In the Civil War Room, Providence Headmaster Dr. Tony Jeffrey, dressed as President Abraham Lincoln, read the Gettysburg Address. Harriet Tubman greeted the students and told of the underground railroad she used to smuggle slaves to freedom. Providence fathers, Dudley Simms, as a Confederate soldier and George Hanson, as a Union soldier, showed students that only the most necessary items were carried by a typical soldier including "hardtack" dry biscuits, a tin cup, utensils, and a pocket Bible. The Civil War—the first modern war utilizing war tactics, the draft, railroads and the telegraph—was the country's most gruesome war, with one in every four men dying from 1861 to 1865.
In the World War II room, students experienced an air raid siren as a speaker said on a bullhorn, “This is an air raid. We are your school defense aids. Line up, sit down, and be quiet.” These raids were typical during the war. Providence mothers Catherine Russell and Angela Kackley discussed events leading up to World War II. The students viewed a movie clip from Pearl Harbor and President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s speech after Pearl Harbor. Karen Stone narrated as Robert McFarlane and student volunteers acted out medics and soldiers on the battlefield, giving some facts about medics and WWII medicine. Catherine and Angela explained the Normandy invasion and conclusion of the war. One lighter moment was when Providence librarian Sue Netherland and her husband, J.R. Netherland, demonstrated the jitterbug to the students.
In the American Inventions room, Albert Einstein greeted the students and told about several of his inventions. Students then deciphered Morse code, had a bubble gum blowing contest, and reviewed inventions of the last century.
During lunch, “Bing Crosby” and the “Andrew Sisters” serenaded the students and their families. After that, students competed by class in Patriot Games, including the military crawl, mine area, hand grenade toss, parachute jump, velocity run, fatigue relay, and sprint to the finish.