Yesterday, the elementary division held a Remembrance Day assembly first thing in the morning. Students quietly entered the gym, wearing a poppy on their uniform, as Mrs. Iun played the hymn “It is Well With My Soul”. Once everyone arrived, four Grade 8 students led the recitation of the pledges, The Lord’s Prayer and the singing of the national anthem.
Mr. Bailey welcomed everyone to the special assembly. After saying a few words about Remembrance Day, he shared a photograph that he had received a few weeks ago from his cousin. It was a photo of his grandfather taken in 1943. His grandfather had served in France and Holland between 1942-1946. He was a lance corporal. He was a radio operator, a tank mechanic, and most importantly a volunteer; he chose to go. Mr. Bailey shared that on Remembrance Day, he keeps his grandfather, affectionately known as “Poppie”, deep in his thoughts. He encouraged those students who do not have a family member that served in a conflict or are currently in the Armed Forces, to take other steps to remember. He suggested things such as listening to the stories of veterans, going to the National Military Cemetery in Ottawa, or even conscientiously appreciating the fact that we live in a democracy with rights and freedoms. These are all possible due to sacrifices of past and present Canadians. Mr. Bailey also shared John 15:12-13. In these verses, Jesus commanded His followers to love one another as He loved them; for there is no greater love than when one lays down his own life for his friends.
Next, Ms. Wong introduced the classic hymn, “Amazing Grace”. She explained that even though it was written over 250 years ago, its message is still relevant today. God continues to extend grace to each of us on a daily basis. Peace and courage does not come from being strong ourselves but through trusting in God. Three students then came to the front to lead the hymn, each singing a verse and in harmony together for the last verse.
We were privileged to have a guest speaker courtesy of The Memory Project, a volunteer organization that arranges for veterans and Canadian Forces members to share their stories of military service at schools and community events across the country. Retired Warrant Officer, Chris Gardner, talked about some of the highlights from his 22 year career in the Canadian Armed Forces. He was mainly a supply technician and was deployed overseas to three different countries – Germany, Afghanistan and Kuwait. He showed three different sets of uniforms, including his dress uniform with his medals and the desert uniform worn in Afghanistan. Mr. Gardner also shared slides that depicted everyday life in the military including photos of his living space, recreational activities they did to stay in shape such as playing ball hockey, and things they did to remind them of home such as enjoying a Tim Horton’s coffee.
At the end of the presentation, students were able to ask him direct questions. They ranged from simple ones such as – why did he join the Armed Forces and how are birthdays celebrated in the military? to more complex and thought provoking questions such as – Have you ever felt compassionate / sorry for the enemy? and What does integrity look like in your profession? Mr. Gardner answered some question with humour and others with a degree of gravity. Overall, it was a good experience for our students to hear about one person’s experience and insights about serving in the Canadian Armed Forces.
To end the service, Ms. Wong led the students in prayer, remembering those men and women who sacrificed their lives and those who are working for peace. She also asked the Lord to help us show kindness daily, be peacemakers and to trust His amazing grace when we are afraid.
At 11:00 AM this morning, Mr. Bailey made a short prologue to introduce the Last Post, the moment of silence and the “Reveille” that followed. All staff and students were asked to stand, reflect and remember or pray for those who are serving, have served or sacrificed for this country or for peace.