Thursday, October 1, 2026
Art students at Wantagh Middle School marked Veterans Day by creating a large display that honors people they know who have served or are serving in the armed forces.
The display fills two bulletin boards on the second floor and is designed to resemble the American flag. Each student created a red square that pays tribute to a veteran in their life, and wrote a Haiku about veterans on a white square. Staff members also contributed.
“It’s basically a large ‘thank you,’” art teacher Jaclyn Gentilesco said of the project.
Among the veterans honored in the display include former students, sons and daughters of faculty members, parents and grandparents of students, and even a current middle school teacher who is in the reserves.
“Some of the kids found veterans in their family they didn’t even know they had,” added art teacher Athanasia Karaiskos. She said it is important to bring an awareness to the students about the people who have served their country, and that it connects them with what is happening in the world.
