Gravely Elementary celebrates Field Day
By Patty Carey
On Oct. 12, Samuel L Gravely Jr. Elementary School in Haymarket held its second annual Field Day. Principal Michele Salzano expected 40 crew members of the PCU Gravely to be in attendance to help with the activities. Instead, 86 crew members were there; willing and excited to be a part of the school’s activities.
“The connection and commitment between the sailors and the children of Gravely Elementary School is amazing,” Salzano said. “These sailors create quite a role model for our children. Their dedication and willingness to help out wherever we ask them is unprecedented.”
The PCU Gravely was named after Vice Admiral Samuel L Gravely Jr. , a Haymarket resident and the first African-American admiral to serve in the United States Navy. Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer that was launched earlier this year.
Ships are given the designation PCU -- or pre-commissioning unit -- until they are formally commissioned, after which they are officially designated USS.
A longtime resident of Haymarket, Gravely’s wife, Alma, still lives in the area and participates in many activities in the school that honor’s her husband’s name.
“My husband would be very proud” said Alma Gravely, who routinely visits the school and volunteers her time and effort to support the school. “There is such a closeness here, it almost feels like family.”
Field Day at the school was separated into morning and afternoon sessions. The morning session was for the third through fifth grades and the afternoon for the kindergarten through second-graders. Each class had a lottery drawing to decide which students would have lunch with the crew members of the Gravely.
“The children are very excited,” said PTO President Michelle Morris, adding that the children put together a list of questions to ask the sailors during lunch, which was donated by Chic-Fil-A and Buffalo Wild Wings.
The day’s activities included a tug-of-war between the teachers and sailors, races, games and sports activities for all. At each station of games, the sailors helped the school staff. As for the tug-of-war between the sailors and teachers, Natalie Conray, a quartermaster seaman apprentice on the Gravely, summed it up: “Well the teachers won in the morning,” she said. “It was early and we may not have tried real hard.”
Also attending the day’s activities was Lt. Commander Michael Witherspoon. When asked about the number of sailors attending he said “Even though it was a holiday for these sailors, when the word went out we were invited to attend Gravely’s Field Day, many of our sailors volunteered. We have established with the school a beautiful relationship.”
Gravely's personal motto: Success = Education + Motivation + Perseverance, was adopted by the school, he noted.
“We are so proud to partner with the school and make Vice Admiral Gravely's vision our vision,” he said. “We are on call to defend our nation and to be here for support the students and staff of Gravely Elementary School.