Valley Middle Honors Veterans With Celebration
Valley Middle School hosted more than 30 local veterans and their families for a Veterans Day event attended by the entire student body.
Updated on Nov. 11, 2026 in Civic
Valley Middle School welcomed more than 30 local veterans and their families on Tuesday for a Veterans Day celebration attended by the entire student body. Six students shared remarks on the meaning of the holiday, and the school's choir, orchestra and band performed patriotic pieces.
Why it matters
The celebration is held once every three years so that every student attends at least once during middle school, giving Grand Forks students a repeated, structured chance to learn about military service. Connecting students directly with local veterans helps the community recognize the service of its own residents.
More than 30 local veterans and their families attended, and the celebration recurs every three years so each student participates once during middle school. Details of total student attendance beyond the full student body were not reported.
The players
Valley Middle School
Valley Middle School is a public middle school in Grand Forks that hosts an annual Veterans Day celebration.
Dennis Elbert
Dennis Elbert is a retired Lieutenant Colonel and U.S. Army veteran who is a University of North Dakota professor emeritus.
Robert Tibbets
Robert Tibbets is a sixth-grade teacher at Valley Middle School who previously spent five years in the National Guard.
The details
Six students each spoke briefly about what Veterans Day means to open the program. Retired Lt. Col. Dennis Elbert, a U.S. Army veteran and University of North Dakota professor emeritus, gave the keynote and presented two pairs of boots, one belonging to his father and one to himself, while the MIA Table honoring service members whose fates are unconfirmed was also presented.
Timeline
Tuesday, November 10, 2026: Valley Middle School hosted the Veterans Day celebration.
The celebration is held triennially, so each student attends once during middle school.
Civic Tradition
The triennial Veterans Day celebration at Valley Middle School follows a fixed cycle that guarantees each student attends once during middle school. The schedule builds a repeated, structured civic learning moment into the school calendar rather than leaving it to individual classroom choice.
Grand Forks families with middle schoolers can expect their children to take part in this structured veterans event once during middle school. Residents interested in local veterans can learn about the service records of people in their own community through school programs like this one.
The takeaway
Civic traditions built into school calendars give students repeated, direct contact with the people who served, which can shape how the next generation understands military service. Families can ask their children what they learned from speakers like Dennis Elbert.
Further reading
For more on local observances, explore Civic coverage across the region.
