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Students show patriotism, mark new year with flag raising in Glen Ellyn

Nearly 200 students surrounded the flagpole Friday morning at St. James the Apostle Catholic School in Glen Ellyn for a ceremonial flag raising to mark the start of the school year.

Seventh-graders Elleson Connelly and Joey Green raised the flag to half-staff, honoring the late Arizona Sen. John McCain, praising the country's banner, showing patriotism and welcoming a new school principal - Paul Kirk - to St. James all at once.

The school has been hosting a flag-raising ceremony for the start of each academic year since 2013.

Two seventh-grade students, chosen at random each week, take turns hoisting and lowering the flag at the beginning and end of each day throughout the year. But the ceremony gathers the entire school to watch the raising occur.

"The school purchased a new flag, and we thought it was a nice way to raise it for the first time," seventh-grade teacher Nancy Palumbo said about the origin of the event.

She and another teacher, Katy Rogala, organized Friday's ceremony, which took place at the end of the first full week of school. Classes began Aug. 22.

"It's the beginning of the school year, and we honor the flag and honor the country," Palumbo said.

Students from preschool through eighth grade waved tiny flags and sang "God Bless America" and the national anthem during the ceremony, which also included reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.

• Daily Herald staff writer Marie Wilson contributed to this report.

  Seventh-graders Joey Green and Elleson Connelly raise the flag Friday morning during an annual ceremony at St. James the Apostle Catholic School in Glen Ellyn. The flag was at half-staff in honor of the late Arizona Sen. John McCain. Bev Horne/bhorne@dailyherald.com
  St. James the Apostle Catholic School students in preschool through eighth grade mark the start of the new school year with a flag-raising ceremony Friday morning. Bev Horne/bhorne@dailyherald.com
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