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Teacher talks about sharing students' show of respect for American flag

Two Clay County students are being praised for completing their flag duty in the pouring rain.

Coppergate Elementary School posted a picture of the two 11-year-olds bringing down the flag and carefully folding it outside of their school building.

Not only was it pounding rain, but it was time for dismissal. Isaac Davis and Nate Helmath, members of the safety patrol, knew they needed to take care of their flag.

"I feel like it was the respectful thing to do," Nate said.

Helmath has military parents, including his father, who was wounded in the Army. Coppergate Elementary School Media Specialist Kim Miskowski saw the boys in the rain and took a picture. She posted it to the school's Facebook page with the caption, "This is what respect looks like at Coppergate."

"They were folding the flag reverently. They were reverent. And they were doing 13 folds … and you know, our country is in a little bit of turmoil … it just struck me," Miskowski said.

Davis also instinctively knows the picture is bringing out the good in people.

"I feel like we have good people in the country and that we should all be good," Isaac said.

For Miskowski, the picture represents patriotism. She admits that sometimes safety patrol members get wet, but she felt the picture offers hope during a critical time.

"When they walked away they held it … cradled it to protect it. And It was a just a moment that was meant to be, I think," Miskowski said.

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