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Silver Creek second graders share those they admire

‘These are my heroes'

OBSERVER Photos by Andrew David Kuczkowski: Here are the students, real-life heroes and Mrs. Trisha Sills (far right) during Friday's second annual Real-Life Heroes event for the second graders. All the teachers partook in the event.

SILVER CREEK — Second graders can do many things. Those, around 7-year-old, students can make your day or “surprise” you in countless ways. In Silver Creek on Friday, the second-grade teachers held their second annual Real-Life Heroes event, where their students made presentations to their heroes and show appreciation for their efforts they make day-in and day-out.

“My real-life hero is my step-dad Corey,” Wyatt Dabney said. “My step-dad provides for my family. My step-dad works extra hard to make money. Corey cooks for my family every day, also he is my hero because he fixes things. Corey could fix cars and vans. Corey can fix boats. I look up to Corey because he was in the Army and everyone looks up to the Army.”

Dabney was not alone in expressing the little things that make all the difference. Other students like Jayce Parker said his hero, “Papa,” spent time with him, even if it’s while he plays video games. That was a part of the reason why Papa is his hero.

Keagan Taggart selected his mother, Trista. There were a few reasons why she was honored, however, one that was stated was more of a trait that Dad had — and Mom took that as a win.

“Well, listen to this, his dad’s a firefighter, too,” Trista Taggart said. “He’s been a firefighter for 15 years. I am a newbie; it’s been five years. I said (when I found out), ‘Hey, that’s cool.’ Then Dad is like, ‘Seriously?’ It was really good.”

Trista Taggart, who stood eagerly in the back, saw a different Keagan as he stood in the front of the classroom next to his teacher Mrs. Trisha Sills. Taggart recorded the entire presentation to save the memories, and when Keagan began, she got the rush and the goosebumps followed.

“I did,” she said. “I still have them right now.”

The connection those words made to the parents were impactful. Many recorded the moment to save it, others cherished it with big smiles and priceless hugs to cap it off. Students expressed kinds words to give back to all of what their hero has done for them.

“I was speechless like I am right now,” Trista Taggart said. “It was just a happy moment because he’s been through a lot. My mom had cancer last year and she lived with us so you see everything happen (as she) went through it. He was very strong in that moment and he has been a very strong person. He’s a goofball, too. He just surprises you.”

Mrs. Sills added that bringing the parents and students into the room complements the educational experience. One example was student Leah Mays, who picked her grandfather Tom “Grandpa D” DiNardo as her. Sills and DiNardo got to speak after and Mays got to see her hero and her everyday school teacher communicate.

Real-life hero and mother Maria Vega helps her daughter Ahyana Fredrick read her presentation in front of the packed classroom.

Outside of Sills’ room were three other classes, all doing the same event. An estimated 200 children, parents and teachers packed the end of the building to share their outside lives, and who makes it special, inside their classrooms.

Moments where joy met tears and laughs met smiles, second-grade students in Silver Creek got to compensate the ones they love.

“You don’t know how emotional it is until you get into it,” Sills said. “You see the parents get emotional and it’s just so special. And the reasons they come up with (naming their hero) is just like ‘awe.’ You just take a step back. These kids really do understand a hero.”

Grandfather Tom "Grandpa D" DiNardo watches a video off the projection as his granddaughter Leah Mays, in background in pink, gave him the recognition of her real-life hero. Also pictured is second-grade teacher Mrs. Trisha Sills.

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