Students at St. John’s Episcopal School in Olney, Maryland pray and say the Pledge of Allegiance before the ceremony of appreciation that included Montgomery County Police officers and the father of fallen officer Noah Leotta.
(WTOP/Kristi King)
WTOP/Kristi King
The poem seventh grader Alexandra Close wrote commemorating the day she and classmates honored Noah Leotta.
(WTOP/Kristi King)
WTOP/Kristi King
Standing with her sister Katherine-Aria Close, seventh grader Alexandra Close, center, is thanked by Rick Leotta for her poem commemorating the day she and classmates honored Leott’a son, fallen officer Noah Leotta along his funeral procession. Officers in background also attended the ceremony in which Close and her school were given a plaque of appreciation by Leotta and the police department.
(WTOP/Kristi King)
WTOP/Kristi King
“We moved the entire school outside,” Head of School at St. John’s Episcopal School in Olney, Maryland, Tom Stevens says of that frigid day. He says many parents sent him emails of support for allowing children to honor the procession. “Nothing I’ve done [in 40 years as an educator] in any of my schools has been anything close to this in terms of me knowing it was the right thing to do,” Stevens said.
(WTOP/Kristi King)
WTOP/Kristi King
Alexandra and her school received a plaque honoring her poem commemorating Noah Leotta.
(WTOP/Kristi King)
WASHINGTON — Montgomery County Police officers and a fallen officer’s family expressed gratitude today for a child’s poem of condolence.
Seventh Grader Alexandra Close was inspired to write the poem while she and fellow school mates watched the passing funeral procession of Montgomery County Officer Noah Leotta last December.
“The moment we all saw you guys standing along the street and saluting us and holding your hands over your hearts, every single police officer was touched by that very deeply,” said Officer Rose Borsow. “lt momentarily took the pain away and made us extra proud to be police officers.”
“If he were still here, I’d just want to say: ‘Thank you for all the work that you have done to keep all of us safe,'” Close told WTOP after the ceremony in which she and her school were presented a plaque commemorating the poem.
“We wanted to do something to show our respect, to show our appreciation to this officer who gave truly the ultimate sacrifice working for us,” said Tom Stevens, Head of School at St. John’s Episcopal School in Olney, Maryland where the presentation occurred during a school assembly Friday.
“It was very touching that day that we put my son to rest,” said Leotta’s father, Rick Leotta. “All of you outside saluting, honoring him — it was an honor for us to see that.”
Kristi King is a veteran reporter who has been working in the WTOP newsroom since 1990. She covers everything from breaking news to consumer concerns and the latest medical developments.
!["We moved the entire school outside," Head of School at St. John's Episcopal School in Olney, Maryland, Tom Stevens says of that frigid day. He says many parents sent him emails of support for allowing children to honor the procession. "Nothing I've done [in 40 years as an educator] in any of my schools has been anything close to this in terms of me knowing it was the right thing to do," Stevens said.(WTOP/Kristi King)](https://wtop.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/SIGN-1672x1254.jpg)
!["We moved the entire school outside," Head of School at St. John's Episcopal School in Olney, Maryland, Tom Stevens says of that frigid day. He says many parents sent him emails of support for allowing children to honor the procession. "Nothing I've done [in 40 years as an educator] in any of my schools has been anything close to this in terms of me knowing it was the right thing to do," Stevens said.(WTOP/Kristi King)](https://wtop.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/SIGN-260x174.jpg)
