A Weaver Elementary School student shares a special moment with her grandfather, a U.S. Army veteran, during the school’s Veterans Day celebration on Friday, Nov. 6. 
Students at Weaver Elementary School gathered on Friday, Nov. 6, for a special Veterans Day celebration honoring the veterans in their lives and thanking them for their service. 
McGaugh Elementary School kindergartener, Maddy, proudly holds a sign honoring her dad for his military service during the school’s Veterans Day ceremony on Friday, Nov. 6. 
Students at Los Alamitos Elementary School hold up signs spelling out “Thank You, Veterans!” during the school’s Veterans Day ceremony on Friday, Nov. 6, showing their appreciation for those who have served our country. 
A Rossmoor Elementary School fifth-grader proudly honors her grandfather, a military veteran, during the school’s Veterans Day celebration.
For students across Orange County, Veterans Day presents an opportunity to honor the men and women who have served in all branches of the U.S. armed forces. But in the Los Alamitos Unified School District, those tributes can hit especially close to home.
Home to both Joint Forces Training Base Los Alamitos and Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach, Los Al has longstanding ties to the local military community. Many of its students have parents, grandparents and other loved ones who have served or are currently serving.
That connection was on display recently as schools throughout the district welcomed veterans, active-duty service members and military families for ceremonies, student performances and special tributes ahead of the federal holiday on Nov. 11.
“For some students, it is a chance to proudly honor a parent or grandparent,” said Los Alamitos Unified Superintendent Dr. Andrew Pulver. “For others, it is an opportunity to hear firsthand about military service and the sacrifices made by service members and their families.”
Of course, the district’s support for military families goes well beyond a single day or month.
For students, military life can mean moving frequently, adjusting to new schools or spending months apart from a deployed parent. To help with those challenges, Los Alamitos Unified offers dedicated counseling support at its school sites, giving students someone to turn to as they navigate those experiences.
“That close connection to military families is also what makes our Veterans Day celebrations so special,” Pulver said. “For students, the ceremonies are a chance to learn that veterans are not just people they read about in history books. They are parents, grandparents, neighbors and members of their own communities.”
District officials shared the photos above with the OCDE Newsroom, offering a glimpse of how its school communities honored veterans ahead of Nov. 11.