Jacks Valley celebrates America from A to Z

The multipurpose room was filled with all of the students from Jacks Valley Elementary School, as well as parents and guests who came to watch a patriotic program performed by sixth-grade students called, "America A to Z" on Tuesday.

The students sang patriotic songs while slides of patriotic symbols were displayed on a screen behind them in the multimedia presentation. Patriotism was represented by every letter of the alphabet from "A" for America the beautiful, to "Z" for the zest and zeal Americans have to live their own lives.

The students led the audience in singing, "The Star Spangled Banner," "This Land is Your Land," "Yankee Doodle Dandy" and "I'm Proud to be an American," but the most popular song seemed to be "Great Defenders" by Lee Greenwood.

Members of the Fallon Naval Air Station Color Guard were invited to the patriotic presentation to present the colors but were also the subjects to whom the class directed "Great Defenders:"

"Go Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines - Hooah!

"You're the great defenders, working while we play,

"Champions of freedom,

"This song goes out to you,

"You're the great defenders of the red, white and blue."

There were 50 arms outstretched and pointing to the color guard seated stage left every time the students sang, "This song goes out to you." The Fallon Color Guard greeted the attention with smiles and a standing ovation.

The program was organized by sixth-grade teachers, Patty Tyson, Stacy Chambers and Jan Matts.

"Patty's daughter is a teacher in Las Vegas and put this program on and was gracious enough to share it with us," said Chambers. "The students really wanted to put the program on."

"I liked singing, 'This Land is Your Land' and 'Great Defender,' in the show," said Lili Stainbrook, 12, who represented the letter "Z" in the program.

Shawnee McFadden performed in the presentation but said she tried out but didn't make the cut to be one of the featured letters.

"Today is patriotism day so I got all decorated," said Shawnee, who was bedecked with a crown as if she could stand for "S" for "Statue of Liberty."

Ricardo Acevedo, 12, also said liked singing to the color guard. This is Ricardo's first year at Jacks Valley, in fact, his first year in the United States.

"I'm here one year from El Salvador," said Ricardo, who had a speaking part in the program. "I was 'I' for independence. I like being on the stage. The singing was my favorite part."