4TH OF JULY EXTRAS Nine-year-olds making flags out of
construction paper this week didn't just glue stars and stripes
onto red paper. They also learned the meaning behind the U.S.
flag. Art class turned into history class for nearly 200
children attending a summer latchkey program at Club Estates
Elementary School, and while they usually have artistic freedom
during craft time, this week they stuck to the template provided
by their teacher, Alice Garcia. They didn't get to color the
stars purple, as requested by one student, but rather they
adhered to tradition for Old Glory while discussing the freedom
it represents. On this day in 1776, the Declaration of
Independence was approved by the Continental Congress, setting
the 13 colonies on the road to freedom as a sovereign nation. As
Americans celebrate our nation's birth today, flags fly as a
tribute to that freedom and the people who have made it
possible. -- Rachel Denny Clow