Oak Meadows celebrates 'Month of the Military Child'

Members of the NJROTC Battalion at Paloma Valley High School perform drills for the students. (Staff photos)

By Doug Spoon, Editor

Students and staff at Oak Meadows Elementary School celebrated April’s Month of the Military Child on Friday with a “Purple Up” assembly on campus.

Purple is the color that symbolizes all branches of the military. The school was decorated in purple balloons and students were urged to wear purple in honor of the event. Selected students addressed the audience about their experiences as military children, one led the Pledge of Allegiance, and another sang the national anthem.

The event was coordinated by Alison Lopez, a first grade teacher at the school. She said there are over 200 children of military parents that attend Oak Meadows. Friday’s event was designed to recognize the sacrifices they make as members of military families.

“I taught military kids at Camp Pendleton for 10 years, and when I came here I saw there were a lot of military families,” Lopez said. “I brought it to the administration and said we should have a celebration. Purple Up is actually a national thing.

“It can be hard. You heard the little kiddo whose dad is deploying tomorrow. They’re sad. We have a couple kids who walk around with their deployment dolls. They can get a doll of their parent and you see them hugging it. They go through it. They’re missing their parents.”

Friday’s ceremony included the displaying of colors by members of the NJROTC Battalion at Paloma Valley High School. The cadets also performed a drill routine for the students.

One of the military children of Oak Meadows Elementary School addresses the students.