What is Remembrance Day and why is it significant?
On Monday 7th November, the whole school gathered in the hall for a Remembrance Day assembly led by Mrs Graves. She began by asking the children what they already knew about Remembrance Day, and she was very impressed by their responses.
Everyone watched a video that explained how Remembrance Day marks the anniversary of the date and the time when the First World War ended on November 11, 1918, at 11am. Remembrance Sunday falls on the second Sunday in November. Across the world, people reflect upon those that have died in previous conflicts by holding a one-minute silence. Mrs Graves advised the children that on Friday 11th November at 11am we will also be holding a one-minute silence to think about those who have sacrificed their lives.
The Remembrance Day Symbol
Within our School every child made a poppy within their class, which we gathered together to make a whole school display of poppies to mark Remembrance Day. The Year 6 Art Prefects created their centre pieces for this whole school display as part of their prefect role.
Here’s what the children thought:
Ruby in 6B – Art Prefect – I was delighted to create my pieces for this whole school monument. Before starting I thought about the colours and symbols that people associated with Remembrance Day. Therefore, I used red as the main colour as I felt that this represented the blood of those that had been hurt and the symbol of the poppy both as buds and in full bloom for all those that were hurt and those that had lost their lives. It was important to me to also include the colour purple, as this colour of poppy is used to remember the animals that also lost their lives in the conflict. I felt it was very important that the meaning of Remembrance was reflected in my art.
Aiden in 6Z – Assistant Art Prefect – I think that the poppy is a good symbol to represent Remembrance because on Flanders Fields where the soldiers died the poppies grew on the battlefields.
What Do People Do On Remembrance Day?
On Remembrance Day, people will lay wreaths of poppies on statues and monuments to remember all the soldiers who died for us. The Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, and some of the royal family go to the Cenotaph in London for a service to remember the soldiers. There is a parade of all the armed forces and those that have been in different conflicts that marches past the cenotaph.
All the children at Coopersale Hall gathered together on the terrace where Mrs Jones played the “Last Post” on the bugle and then everyone observed a one-minute silence. The assembly held by Mrs Graves allowed us all time to reinforce our understanding of the significance of Remembrance Day and why it is important that this day be marked every year.
By Mrs Boultwood