CCMS students submit most essays

PATRIOT’S PEN, a national program of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, is an annual program that invites middle school students in grades six to eight to submit an essay based on a theme selected by the military organization’s national commander. This year’s question was “How are you inspired by America?” Coal City Middle School had 321 students or 64 percent of its student body submit an essay to St. Juvin Post 1336, the local VFW chapter. The Post is allowed to submit one essay per each 15 received for judging at the district level. This year Post 1336 submitted 21 essays for judging in Illinois VFW’s 18th District, the largest number of submissions out of 11 VFW organizations in the district. Commander Jim Phillips (standing right) recently commended the essay writers during the District Unit 1 School Board meeting.