East Forsyth Middle School Wins Assembly Featuring TV Host Jamie Kaler

Originally Published on Camel City Dispatch here

“What do you want to be when you grow up?”

- Jamie Kaler

Television host Jamie Kaler asked middle school students the seemingly benign question early Friday morning during an assembly designed to honor veterans. Responses ranged from the obvious – video game designer (Kaler joked, “This kid knows where the money is,”), to the less traditional: professions like railroad engineers and teachers.

One student said he wanted to be in the military; specifically, the marines. His response elicited an emphatic “OOH RAH” from one of the veterans in attendance.

Kaler, an actor and comedian who currently hosts American Hero Channel’s AMERICA: FACT VS. FICTION, is a Navy veteran himself. This unique crossover, from military to hollywood, made him the perfect “master of ceremonies” for the ‘My Hero Is’ student event that took place at East Forsyth Middle School. He was to infuse humor, personality, and charm into an event honoring America’s finest, while maintaining an appropriate reverence for those who give all.

‘My Hero Is’ was specifically designed to celebrate veterans within the community – to that point, Friday’s event had a strong presence from local VFW members. They showed up to be entertained by Kaler, to honor one another, and to help impress upon students how important the military is to America’s rich history. The assembly was a joint effort between the National Military Family Association, and Discovery Education who itself partners with schools across the United States to encourage new pathways to education.

Students had to win the assembly – they submitted 30-second videos to Discovery Education that honored a service member or military family member that exemplified valor, courage and sacrifice. Teacher Karen Slepp helped her students win by encouraging them every step of the way. East Forsyth students ended up submitting the most video entries of anybody participating.

“It was a frenzy,” said Klepp. She described the process students went through to get their videos perfect, and how they put pressure on one another to make it better – so much so that one student did over 100 takes. Usually, giving students feedback is a challenge, but this time Klepp said, “they were their own worst critic.”

An early ‘FACT OR FICTION’ game at the assembly had Kaler quizzing two groups of students on American history in a routine that felt reminiscent of his hit TV show. He asked about the material makeup of George Washington’s teeth, and gave the kids a hard time for freezing under the pressure.

But the heart of ‘My Hero Is’ was the awards ceremony.

East Forsyth Middle students Casey Greene and Deaja Richardson honored their military family members with a special award, and Slepp herself was recognized for putting the effort in and rallying her students around the cause. This wasn’t Slepp’s first national award recognition, though – in her 30 year teaching career, she’s been involved in over 25 similar projects. Most impressive? Most of those 25 came in the last 15 years.

Local VFW District 11 commander Don Issacs then gave the keynote speach. He encouraged kids to reach out to their supports – teachers, parents, mentors, and local veterans – and never shy away from asking help. He also cautioned against abusing social media because once you put something out there, it’s out there forever.

After the assembly, students and award winners were treated to a small reception, including juice and pastries, to honor their efforts. Students also received sunglasses and t shirts courtesy of Discovery Education. And best of all? They got a private autograph session with Kaler.

The powerful theme of recognizing military stole the morning, though. Keynote speaker Issacs discussed how great it was to see students so interested in the military and their history. Derrick Richardson, award recipient, said it felt “good” to be honored by his daughter and the community.

And Arzie Greene, award recipient and grandfather of Casey Greene, just put the focus back on his granddaughter. He said over and over again that she was, simply, “great.”

It was a powerful experience seeing young and old, celebrity and citizen, education and entertainment, all come together and recognize how important our military is to the fabric of America.

Perhaps most impressive was how hard the student body worked to pull it all together. Or, to quote Ms. Slepp, “If you have a great relationship with the students, you can teach them anything.”