Sackets Harbor welcomes back a hero

SACKETS HARBOR — The school district has a human embodiment of its Patriot mascot right in the social studies department.

Lt. Col. Walter W. Jacobs, Mannsville, high school social studies teacher, returned last week from his second yearlong deployment as a member of the Army Reserves. To commemorate his service and welcome him back on his first day, a senior portfolio group organized an extravagant welcome-home ceremony Friday.

The ceremony was kept a surprise until he was driven into the gymnasium in a red cart trailing balloons and streamers at 8:10 a.m. He was greeted by the entire student body giving him a standing ovation.

“I thought it was an anti-bullying workshop,” Mr. Jacobs said. “That’s what I was told.”

In his opening speech, Sackets Harbor Superintendent Frederick E. Hall Jr. joked that Mr. Jacobs would probably rather be back in Iraq than be the center of attention.

Described by others as “reserved,” he seemed to agree.

“I’m one of those people who doesn’t like any kind of attention, so this was over the top,” he said.

And over the top it was. The students arranged to have Fort Drum’s 3rd Brigade, 132nd Infantry Unit Color Guard begin the ceremony and to have the post’s quintet be unveiled behind the stage’s crimson curtain at the end.

“We knew we wanted it to be extravagant,” senior Taylor M. Fields said.

After a few military tunes by the school’s chorus and band, the portfolio group ran a short film showing Mr. Jacobs school events that had happened in his absence and how much the students and staff had missed him. The video provided comic relief at points, such as a teacher singing “Happy Birthday” in the style of Marilyn Monroe because it was Mr. Jacobs’s birthday.

Both Miss Fields and senior Olivia S. Kolb had Mr. Jacobs as a social studies teacher in ninth grade. Miss Kolb said they jumped at the opportunity when Principal Jennifer L. Gaffney-Goodnough brought it up while the groups were brainstorming ideas for their senior portfolio projects.

“He told a lot of side stories. He would always put a smile on your face in class,” Miss Fields said. “We’re glad to have him back to teach economics to us.”

Ms. Gaffney-Goodnough said that she and the district’s union president decided to take over Mr. Jacobs’s classes while he was in Iraq for the past 12 months to support Operation New Dawn.

“We chose to assume Walt’s course loads to withhold having to bring in a substitute,” she said.

Mr. Jacobs is now retired from the service, so Ms. Gaffney-Goodnough will not have to cover his classes for an extended period again.

“War is for young men, not old men,” he said. “Believe me.”