October 19, 2009 - Each year since 2002, Shaker High School Social Studies teacher Daniel Weaver, the World of Difference Club and the Town of Colonie Veterans Project have paid homage to our country’s veterans by holding a Veterans Day celebration.

This year, the celebration will be held on November 4, at the Shaker High School auditorium. The Keynote Speaker will be Retired Lieutenant Colonel Michael Papadopoulos. Lieutenant Colonel Papadopoulos is a Veteran of Desert Storm and most recently served as Professor of Military Science at the University of Rhode Island and Siena College. Currently, he is the Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs/Director of Public Safety at Siena. He is also a resident and parent of a North Colonie student.

“Mike has been a strong supporter of our celebration and a point of contact with Siena ROTC,” Daniel Weaver said. “It is nice for Mike because his daughter Eleni will be graduating this year, and she is one of our student leaders coordinating the event.”

Ryan Smithson, an Iraq War Veteran and author of Ghosts of War: The True Story of a 19-Year Old G.I., will highlight the featured presentation.

“Ryan will connect to the audience, particularly to the students,” Weaver said. “His presentation is powerful, very moving, and extraordinary.”

The celebration usually focuses on a common theme. Weaver usually ties the theme into a district-wide initiative that helps illustrate what the theme means to North Colonie students. This year the theme is patriotism.
From Thursday, October 15, 2009 through Friday, October 23, 2009, the North Colonie Central School District is conducting a writing contest in each elementary school, as well as the junior and senior high schools. The contest will focus on the significance of Veterans Day and what patriotism means to individual students. For contest directions and rules, click here.

In addition to the contest, the district will launch Operation: North Colonie Cares. The North Colonie community is collecting items for our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan starting October 19 and running through November 10. These items include food, toiletries and much more. All items can be dropped off at your school’s main office. A full list of items can be found here.