Eisenhower Intermediate School students and staff honor Ike on his birthday

The students and staff of the Eisenhower Intermediate School in Bridgewater all like Ike.

To celebrate the birthday each year of  Dwight D. Eisenhower, the staff and students celebrate this legendary American with various lessons and events at the Eisenhower Intermediate School.

Eisenhower Principal Joe Diskin explained how this annual celebration came about to honor the 34th President of the United States and the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in Europe during World War II.

“Years ago, myself and a former librarian asked each other if the students realize who their school is named after,” said Principal Diskin about the conversation he had held over a dozen years ago. “We came to the conclusion that they did not.”

Hence the birth of Dwight D. Eisenhower Day at the school on the day of his birthday, October 14.

Over the years, the school has held various events such as a visit from a historian from the Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood Home in Abilene, Kansas and a virtual presentation from Eisenhower’s granddaughter.

This October 14, teachers taught their own history lessons of the man who carried the famous nickname of “Ike.”

The sixth grade English class students of Ms. Elizabeth Bliss, Ms. Felicia Mascarenhas and Ms. Jennifer Johnson studied the window display at the front lobby of the school that holds numerous famous signs, pictures, artifacts and literature of Ike.

“This was the idea of Ms. Johnson to have the students look over the display case and then read an article about him and thee write about Eisenhower,’ said Ms. Bliss.

The famed “I Like Ike” campaign button that was featured throughout our country when he won the election for presidency in 1952 is in the display case and was also discussed during Ms. Noel Monahan’s sixth grade Social Studies class.

“We watched a video of his bio and learned about his campaign for president,” Ms. Monahan reported. “And our students made the “I Like Ike” buttons.

In Ms. Hailey Erickson’s fifth grade English class, students also watched videos, including the iconic image of Eisenhower speaking with American troops on the eve of the D-Day Invasion on June 5, 1944.

Principal Diskin speaks for the entire school on this special day when he concluded:

“By doing this event each year, we are building pride here in the building,” he said.