As students get excited for of the long Veterans Day weekend, history teachers have given students the chance to write letters to veterans to thank them for all the hard work they have done for the country.

To many people, having a day off from work or school is like utopia. However, most people do not take time out to think of the reasons behind the holiday.

Carlmont history teacher Greg Schoenstein offered extra credit to students who decided to write a letter to a veteran.  Schoenstein has run the program for six years and this year he contacted other Carlmont history teachers to  join in on the tradition.

“My primary motivation is to drive home for the students the reason that they have the three day weekend and to remind them that it’s there for a reason. It’s easy to forget, but it does serve a purpose,”  Schoenstein said.

Some teachers are awarding up to 25 extra credit points.

Government teacher Ashley Gray said, “I am offering extra credit; it’s going to be on a sliding scale. The individual student and I will have a conversation to determine how much extra credit they would like to get based on their effort and motivation. Some students may be doing it because they have family members who served and want to recognize sacrifices those have made. [While] other students may be doing it because they’re in an academic need.”

It’s difficult to say no to extra credit, and students often have an internal conflict between completing the assignment for kudos or completing the assignment because of self-motivation.

Senior Kainoa Cachia said, “I’m writing this letter because I feel genuinely grateful to the soldiers who put their life on the line for us. It was a good idea for [Gray] to make it available because this opportunity made showing our gratitude much easier.”

Whether you agree with war or not, our heroic veterans should be highly praised and acknowledged for their services.