MACON, Ga. — Most schools have a flagpole outside, but Hartley Elementary's Junior Leadership Corps learns lessons about the flag that go beyond the classroom making them our school of the week.
Hartley Elementary's Junior Leadership Corps (JLC) perform their daily duties, starting with raising the American flag led by their Platoon Sergeant Keaira Hollingshed.
"We make sure it doesn't touch the ground, because most people have died trying to protect this flag and we wanted to keep it honorable," Hollingshed said.
JLC began this year and Hartley is the only elementary school in Bibb County that offers it.
Adviser Mary Bell has a special connection to the program.
"I am a retired military veteran, I served my country for 22 years," Bell said.
She teaches 15 students how to properly fold and present a flag, do military marches and better serve their school by picking up trash and patrolling the hallways.
"The program is so important because it teaches the students discipline, a sense of ownership, pride in their school, pride in their country, pride in their district," Bell said.
"Being the only elementary school in Bibb County that has a Junior Leadership Corps I think is a selling point for us," Assistant Principal Amber Hurley said. "We're giving them those extracurricular opportunities that will help them in the future."
"I want to be in the Army because of what my mom did and I want to represent what she did and the sacrifices she made," JLC member Alek'sa Freeman said.
"I want to be in the Navy, I want to help people around the world," Hollingshed said.
Now, Bell says if students' interest in the program continues to grow, they'll open it up for fourth graders to join as well.
Hartley Elementary's Junior Leadership Corps will lead the Pledge of Allegiance and present their flag to Bibb County Board of Education president Lester Miller during the May board meeting.
PREVIOUS SCHOOLS OF THE WEEK: