LPS students, staff celebrate Veterans Day with many activities

November 11, 2025

When Matthew Manning heard about the Veterans Day activities taking place at Riley Elementary School on Tuesday morning, he knew he wanted to invite one of his students to join him there.
 
That decision led to a happy conversation between Manning and Riley fourth grader Zora over doughnuts and orange juice in the school cafeteria.
 
Riley was one of multiple Lincoln Public Schools sites to hold Veterans Day ceremonies over a three-day span. Preschool, elementary, middle and high school students took part in assemblies, speeches and hallways parades on Friday, Monday and Tuesday.
 
Students and staff at several buildings also contributed photos of family members who either have served or are currently serving in the military. The schools mounted them on display walls for students to look at during the week.

 
Manning, a veteran, teaches instrumental music classes at Riley during the school day. Manning was the guest speaker at Riley’s 2023 ceremony, and he wanted to continue participating in this year’s event.
 
“Zora’s my bass player, and I thought it would be good to invite her to come today,” Manning said. “I thought it would be a great opportunity for her.”
 
Zora smiled when asked what her reaction was when she learned Manning had chosen her.
 
“It felt good,” Zora said.
 
Alissa Cookston has been teaching at Riley for 14 years and organized the school’s Veterans Day program. Her husband is a service member and joined her in the cafeteria for the pre-assembly breakfast. She said it was exciting to have community members join students for both events.
 
“This day means a lot to everyone,” Cookston said. “We’re really happy to be able to have this at school today.”

 
Riley students Darien, Kennedy, Nora, Elizabeth, Eliana, Ruth and Nefetari began the assembly by reading facts about the various military branches. Thirty members of a school choir then sang “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee” and “The Star-Spangled Banner” for the audience. The program concluded with a slideshow that featured pictures of veterans who have ties to Riley students.
 
Cookston told the Rams gathered in the gym that she was pleased with the way they listened and acted throughout the ceremony.
 
“I am so proud of Riley Elementary students right now,” Cookston said. “I’m happy with how calm and respectful you were.”
 
School leaders at Fredstrom Elementary were equally happy with the pride and patriotism the Falcons displayed at their event. The school hosted a hallway parade for the first time last year, and administrators decided to repeat it this fall due to the positive reception from both students and veterans. Fredstrom Assistant Principal Kathy Moldenhauer said it was a good opportunity to increase family engagement and honor veterans at the same time.
 
“We feel it is a great way to recognize and celebrate our Fredstrom community,” Moldenhauer said.

 
The first part of the celebration took place outside the front doors. Nebraska Army National Guard Sergeant First Class Jasmine Main secured two military vehicles to bring to school for students to inspect. Falcons in preschool through fifth grade climbed into a smaller Humvee and sat in the back and front seats. They also gazed up at a larger rescue vehicle that service members use during emergencies such as flooding.
 
Main, who is based in Mead and has three children, said she was happy to help spread the word about the Nebraska Army National Guard to the Falcons.
 
“I serve on the PTO (Parent-Teacher Organization) here, and they do the veterans program here every year, so I was like, “Do you guys have any interest in stepping it up a little? I can get trucks here pretty easily,’” Main said. “So, we brought a couple of trucks, which was super fun. It was awesome to see the kids’ reactions to them.”

 
The smiles continued inside the school. Fredstrom sent a note home to families prior to Veterans Day encouraging them to participate in the hallway parade if they knew a veteran. Students then cheered for them on both sides of the main hallway with signs, posters and American flags.
 
Main’s son Dawson said he was happy to walk in the parade with his mom. They were at the front of a long caravan of veterans, parents and students who received applause from all of the Falcons.
 
“It was cool that everybody was watching and we were the first ones to go,” Dawson said.
 
Main said she was grateful to see the “pure appreciation” that the Falcons showed to dozens of veterans throughout the day. She said the joy on everyone’s faces made her 18 years of service well worth it.
 
“We fight for these guys to have the life that they live, and I wouldn’t change it for the world,” Main said.
 
Schools across Lincoln celebrated a wide range of Veterans Day activities. View pictures from several LPS sites at photos.lps.org.
 
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