Park Avenue buddies thank Vietnam veterans

Their service may have been decades ago, but Vietnam era veterans still feel the appreciation thanks to youngsters at Park Avenue Elementary School in the North Bellmore School District. Students from third and sixth grade classes came together to make quick deploy paracord bracelets for veterans. 

Third grade teacher Brittany Ciana said she learned about the project online, sponsored by Operation Gratitude, and felt it would be a good community service activity for her students. Noting the complexity involved in making the bracelets, she enlisted the help of Sarah Mazeika’s sixth graders.

The third grade and sixth grade students worked in pairs to make the bracelets in red, green and yellow, the colors of the Vietnam Service Ribbon. They followed along during an instructional video, which provided step-by-step guidance on making the bracelets. Students had to cut nine inches of paracord, tie a knot and create a zig zag pattern with the colors. 

Paracord survival bracelets have multiple uses, and a single 9-inch bracelet can provide up to seven and a half feet of cord that can hold up to 550 pounds. Students also wrote and signed thank-you cards to the veterans that were included with the bracelets. 

 

Photo captions:

 

1: Third grader Bruce Hernandez and sixth grader J.T. McMahon worked together to tie a knot to make a quick deploy paracord bracelet for a Vietnam veteran.

2: Sixth grader Edy Volpe and third grader Olivia Quenneville welcomed the opportunity to do a community service project for veterans. 

3: Elijah Ojiezele was ready to work with his sixth grade helper, Landon Behrens.

 

Photos courtesy of the North Bellmore School District