BILLINGS — For 33 years, one Billings music teacher has helped her students say thank you to those who served through song.
This Veterans Day, the tradition takes on a special meaning as she leads the program for the final time.
Watch what this program means to Ellie Creek:
After more than two decades of teaching students to honor those who served, Ellie Creek is leading this program one final time.
"My biggest goal is for them to learn their patriotic music, music of respect, for our veterans and their families," Creek said Wednesday.
Young voices are filling Broadwater Elementary School with American pride. Students are singing the songs of America to honor the men and women who serve the country.
For fifth grader Frankie Jensen, that meaning is simple.
"They like risk their lives for us and I think it's like really important that they're here to watch," Jensen said.
Flags up, voices loud and plenty of pride to go around. For Creek, that respect was taught long before she ever stepped into a classroom.
"I learned from when I was very little of my mom telling me about how she felt and how her mother felt when she watched her four brothers go off to World War II," Creek said.
Now, she's passing that lesson on.
Fourth graders learned about Flanders Field, while fifth graders focused on the Missing Man Table, honoring those who never made it home.
And for the veterans who did, a room full of students made sure these vets feel seen.
"My biggest goal is that the veterans feel like they have been appreciated and that the students give that to them," Creek said.
Fifth grader Brooks Blaskovich knows why that matters.
"Veterans like serve and risk their life to keep us safe," Blaskovich said. "It's kind of strict because it's really important to our music teacher and it's just important."
"It will be very sentimental, very heartfelt, very meaningful, and it's a wonderful bunch of kids that I get to celebrate this with," Creek said.
