Bourne Public Schools Hosts Purple Up Day Event to Celebrate Children of Military Families

BOURNE — Bourne Public Schools and the Massachusetts Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission (MIC3) hosted a Purple Up Day event Friday, April 12, at Bourne Intermediate School to support children of military families.

Bourne is home to Joint Base Cape Cod and there are over one hundred Bourne Public Schools students who are part of military families.

The Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission (MIC3) is the governing body of the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children. The collaborative’s mission is to ease the educational transitions of school-aged, military-connected students attending public schools and Department of Defense schools worldwide.

On a designated day during the Month of the Military Child in April, communities throughout each state join and wear purple to honor military children. Purple is a combination of Army green, Marine Corps red, Coast Guard, Air Force, Space Force and Navy blue, and represents military children from all branches.

At the approximately hour-long event on Friday, Bourne children of military parents and their families heard a welcome address by Bourne Superintendent Kerri Quinlan-Zhou and she led the pledge of allegiance. Students then sang a moving acapella rendition of the national anthem for attendees. After, MIC3 Massachusetts Commissioner J. Clarke Orzalli presented the Governor’s Proclamation.

Following the Governor’s Proclamation, attendees heard testimonials from children with family in the military, including fifth-grader William Curtis, fourth-grader Madison Hamel and third-grader Becca Grimes, who spoke about their experiences with frequent moves around the country.

“I have lived in three different states myself. I was born in Maryland and then we moved to Connecticut. While in Connecticut my dad went overseas to Bahrain and it was a long 13 months without him,” Becca Grimes said. “My favorite thing about being a military kid is making new friends and living in new places.”

All Bourne Intermediate School military students were subsequently presented certificates that recognized the support of their loved ones in the armed forces. Bourne Intermediate School students then conducted a performance of U.S. military service songs and closing remarks were made by Bourne Intermediate School Principal Jane Norton.

After the event, a reception was held in the Bourne Intermediate School Media Center that included light refreshments for military families and honored guests, including state representatives, MIC3 Commission Members and Joint Base Cape Cod (JBCC) representatives.

“According to MIC3, most military students will attend six to nine different schools from kindergarten to twelfth grade, which is three times more than the average student,” Superintendent Kerri Anne Quinlan-Zhou said. “Bourne Public Schools aims to create a welcoming environment where military children can feel a sense of belonging, and we recognize the importance of honoring the sacrifice and unique experiences that military families endure when one or both parents are serving our country. I’m proud of our students who received the recognition they deserve.”

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