ROBERTSDALE, Alabama — While the annual Veterans Day celebration is officially on Friday, Nov. 11, local schools, which will be enjoying a day off on Friday, will be honoring the nation’s military beginning on Wednesday.

Central Baldwin Middle School will celebrate “Decades of Dedication” on Wednesday with a power-point presentation and performances from each decade beginning in the 1940s and up through the 2000s, said Dawn Hopper.

“We are all about our troops and want to do what we can to support them,” she said.

The presentation will include features on each decade beginning with the 1940s featuring the sacrifices women made joining the workforce during World War II and a performance of the Jitterbug. The 1950s will include a performance by ”Elvis,” while the 60s will feature “The Temptations” and the 70s will feature Sister Sledge’s “We Are Family.”

The 1980s will feature a guitar solo of Van Halen’s “Eruption” followed by the 1990s and a performance of the Dixie Chicks’ “Travelin’ Soldier” and the 2000s will feature a celebration of the evolution of dance by the CBMS cheerleaders.

Members of the Gear Jammers car club have been invited to participate, along with veterans from the William F. Green Veterans Home. The presentation of colors will be presented by the Daphne High School ROTC and the CBMS Band will perform, Hopper said.

Robertsdale Elementary School will also hold its Veterans Day program Wednesday morning with guest speaker Mayor Charles Murphy and a patriotic program by the RES choir under the direction of Suzie Vivar. Rosinton School will host a Veterans Day program on Wednesday afternoon and Elsanor Elementary will feature its program on Thursday morning.