Tamaqua Area students are saying thank you to veterans in many ways this Veterans Day from cards to tributes.

The National Junior Honor Society, under the direction of Lauren Ahner, created more than 250 handmade cards thanking veterans for their military service.

Those cards and sentiments went to American Legion Posts in Tamaqua, Coaldale and Lansford to be given to veterans after ceremonies, parades and Veterans Day observations, said Kim Woodward, Tamaqua Middle School Art Club director, who hand delivered them this weekend.

Small flags with streamers will also be placed outside in the grass outside the TAMS entrance and arranged to spell out “USA,” today or Wednesday, she said.

The TAMS Art Club and Honors Society took on this project, handwriting information from forms filled out in social studies classes about military families or loved ones on the strips with the graphics, Woodward said.

“My art club actually made these strips of paper with the logos of the military branch, with the name of the servicemen, the service they were in, and years of service and their rank,” she said.

TAMS teacher Joe Berezwick came up with the idea for the project to both honor the veterans and bring collaborative awareness of how many military families — past, present and future — the school community has, she said.

The flags, which were donated by state Rep. Jamie Barton’s and Sen. David Argall’s offices, will be placed through a collaborative effort, Woodward said.

In addition, the Tamaqua High School has a similar event going on with their flags being placed ceremoniously at a flagpole and a Veterans Day service starting at 7:15 a.m. on Wednesday in front of the high school. Area veterans are invited to attend the remembrance ceremony conducted by the faculty and staff at high school and middle school.

The remembrance will include a flag-raising ceremony, patriotic music, readings by student leaders and performances by the high school music ensembles.

The Schuylkill Youth Conference students decided to participate in a fundraising venture for the Disabled Americans Veterans (DAV). Students sold flags and the high school Graphics Arts classes made custom-designed name plates to honor the students’ family members who served.

High school social studies teacher Nate Halenar, who coordinated the event, expressed his and the students’ gratitude for the service of our brave men and women, she said.

TAHS Principal Jimmy Hahn also thanked veterans for their service, saying that they should be honored every day.