Students honor veterans, hear from author

 

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Students from Bishop Garriga Middle Preparatory School had a busy day on Nov. 16 as they honored their community's veterans, attended a book reading and talk by a local author and celebrated Thanksgiving with a luncheon catered for them and their families.
 
Father Romeo Salinas celebrated Mass at Immaculate Conception Chapel on the St. John Paul II High School Campus and students handed small flags to veterans as they stood before the altar. Father Salinas led the students in prayer and thanks for their service to the country. Students sang The National Anthem as Father Salinas processed out, ending the Mass.
 
Shortly after Mass a group of sixth grade students were captivated by author, Esther Bonilla Read, who wrote several books, including Juanito, From the Porch Step and a short story in Chicken Soup for the Latino Soul, Juanito: Celebrating La Comunidad Latina.
 
Read, who is from a small town in Central Texas "knows the importance of education and especially literature," said school counselor Joe Bonilla. He introduced her as his aunt who has raised children that have been valedictorian and salutatorians at high schools in Corpus Christi and "all of my cousins have grown up to be very successful," he said.
 
Read is a retired teacher from Corpus Christi Independent School District. She has taught most grade levels except for high school. She has taught night school at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. Though retired now, she is a substitute teacher and teaches English As a Second Language for Del Mar College.
 
She spoke to the students about her books and read excerpts from some of them. She also remembered poems shared from another book she had written. She spoke to them about herself and her early interest in writing and school.
 
After the book reading all the students met in the gym with their families and had a Thanksgiving feast.