Half-staff

When we say "half-staff," it means that we are lowering a flag on a pole halfway down. We do this to show respect when someone important dies, like a leader or a hero.

Imagine you are holding a stick with a toy flag on top. Normally, you hold the flag all the way up, so it blows in the wind. But when someone important dies, you lower the flag halfway down the stick. This shows that you are sad and honoring the person who died.

Even big buildings and government offices have tall flagpoles with flags on them. When they want to show respect, they lower their flags halfway down too. It's a way to show everyone that we care and remember those who were important to us.