Soldier surprises daughter with reunion at school

MCKENZIE, Tenn. — Friday was unlike any other school day after a little girl received an unexpected surprise at McKenzie Elementary School.

McKenzie Elementary students thought they were in their routine P.E. lesson. What they didn’t know is that they were about to witness kindergartner Rena Weaver being reunited with her father, a sergeant of the U.S. Army National Guard.

“You can’t describe it,” said Sergeant Andy Weaver, Rena’s father. “I’ve never been away from her for more than a week at a time until this deployment. It’s very hard.”

It was a touching moment for a family and the school as Weaver returned home from deployment in Poland.

“Excited. Happy,” said kindergartener, Rena Weaver.

“He’s been gone for almost a year, so we’ve been on this journey by ourselves here at home and just trying to be strong and keep the home front together. The school has been so supportive,” said Callan Weaver, Rena’s mother.

Rena’s parents say they want to give all of their thanks to her teacher.

“He missed a lot of the small things people take for granted. The first day of school, the ‘meet the teacher’ and the parent-teacher conferences. It’s such a special year, it’s their first. I just wanted him to be involved in everything and have a chance to be involved in it,” said Rena’s teacher, Brandy Turman.

The family says they plan to enjoy every minute of Sergeant Weaver finally being home.