{"id":844,"date":"2023-06-10T16:10:01","date_gmt":"2023-06-10T16:10:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/taughtbyfinland.com\/?p=844"},"modified":"2023-06-10T16:10:03","modified_gmt":"2023-06-10T16:10:03","slug":"copper-island-academy-cultivates-patriotism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/taughtbyfinland.com\/copper-island-academy-cultivates-patriotism\/","title":{"rendered":"Copper Island Academy Cultivates Patriotism"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The following post is based on <\/em>my new YouTube video<\/em><\/a> for Copper Island Academy, a Finnish-inspired school in Calumet, Michigan. Our partnership <\/em>began<\/em><\/a> earlier this year.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Copper Island Academy strikes a unique balance between implementing best practices from Finnish education and embracing traditional American ideals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today\u2019s post focuses on the school\u2019s emphasis on cultivating patriotism in its students. (My previous posts focused on Copper Island’s culinary<\/a> and studio<\/a> programs.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the Battlefield to the Classroom<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Kevin Boyd teaches middle school social studies at Copper Island, and he told me that the school\u2019s overarching goal is to \u201cdevelop amazing American citizens that have a respect for our country.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1987, Kevin joined the U.S. Army right out of high school. Since then, he\u2019s lived in 19 different countries and had multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kevin retired from the military with 33 years of service in 2020. But he hasn’t stopped serving our country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He felt called to educate the next generation of Americans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI’ve taken part in a lot of historic events,\u201d Kevin said. \u201cNot only do I want them to have an understanding of that, but to have an understanding what it\u2019s like to serve in the military, to serve on a jury, to be a politician, to be a good voter.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kevin also wants his students to understand the freedoms and rights they enjoy as U.S. citizens\u2014and the sacrifices made before them. His conviction represents the ethos I\u2019ve found at Copper Island.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cultivating Patriotism<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The school cultivates patriotism in visible ways each week. Every morning, students and staff say the Pledge of Allegiance together\u2014and on Mondays, they sing a patriotic song.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kevin’s very proud of another tradition at the school: the raising, lowering, and folding of the American flag. When the 2022-2023 school year began, several middle school girls stepped up to handle this daily responsibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDespite the weather,\u201d Kevin said, \u201cthey get the flag up each morning, and they take it down … and they’re very proud of that.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Traditions like raising the flag and reciting the Pledge may seem modest, but they can significantly impact students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“If you don’t learn the traditions that we’ve built you lose that respect for them,\u201d said Kevin. \u201cIf you\u2019re not taking part in the traditions, you don\u2019t have an understanding of why and how we do what we do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kevin\u2019s middle schoolers learned about the Battle of Iwo Jima<\/a> in social studies. Images from that historical event moved them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A famous photo<\/a> shows six U.S. Marines risking their lives to raise the American flag on Mount Suribachi. (Three of those men were later killed in action.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Raising the school flag during peacetime is clearly different from what happened during the Battle of Iwo Jima. But the tradition is the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt builds respect, honor, duty, a sense of belonging,\u201d Kevin said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Honoring Veterans<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Throughout the academic year, Copper Island honors those who have served in the U.S. military. For example, the school hosted a luncheon for veterans in October.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the event, a couple of Kevin\u2019s students lowered the flag, resulting in a powerful learning experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“As they started lowering it, one of the Korean War veterans walked over,\u201d Kevin said. \u201cAnd he and I saluted them as they were lowering and folding the flag\u2014and it brought them to tears.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kevin believes this moment further cemented his students\u2019 respect for the flag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was something that I will never forget,\u201d one eighth-grader told me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy Grandpa served in the Vietnam War,\u201d one of her classmates said, \u201cand I think taking down the flag is a great way to show respect to him and all the other veterans who served in wars for the U.S.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Passing on the Tradition<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Last fall, Kevin taught middle schoolers to care for the flag. This spring, these students passed on the tradition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Around Memorial Day, Copper Island middle schoolers showed second-graders how to raise, lower, and fold the flag. When the younger students returned to their classroom, they practiced the proper folding technique.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kevin reminded me that Memorial Day is America’s most hallowed military holiday. It’s a time when we remember and honor those who died in the line of duty, serving our country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kevin lost friends in Panama, Somalia, and Iraq. In Afghanistan, he lost his medic and fellow soldiers he was close to. (Tragically, his best friend and Platoon Sergeant\u2014while Kevin served as a Platoon Leader\u2014succumbed to wounds received in Afghanistan years after returning home.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ll never forget these guys and girls that made the ultimate sacrifice,\u201d Kevin said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every time I’ve visited Copper Island, I’ve sensed deep reverence for the United States, the American flag, and those who have served in our military. The school is serious about giving its students both a love of learning and a love of country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Watch<\/a> my latest YouTube video about Copper Island Academy to see what cultivating patriotism looks like in action:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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