Our Remembrance Day Ceremony was a meaningful and respectful time of remembrance of those who have served in the past and those who continue to serve, protect and provide help in the present day. Tyson P. started the ceremony with the March on Flags, followed by the All Girls School, Calgary choir who led us in the sining of O Canada. The Girls School choir then sang a hauntingly sweet rendition of Homeward Bound by Marta Keen and Jay Althouse.
We had a number of students who participated in readings of reminders as to why we wear a poppy, the poem In Flanders Fields by John Mccrae, and commitments to remember. Thank you Harrison L., Boe B., Nolan S., Sam B., Emmett S., Thomas Z, Parker F. and Braiden P. for your respectful contributions.
Special guest speaker, Petty Officer second class Maria Hale, shared that “being part of something bigger than herself and being a light in the darkness and hope for the hopeless” were motivating factors for why she chose to be a member of the Canadian military, far from her family and friends. She also highlighted the service and sacrifice of three members of the Canadian forces through history – 19 year old Able Seaman Fred Turnbull who helped take Juno Beach on D-Day in 1944; NATO Security Assistance Force member, Corporal Mac-Daniel Benoit, deployed to Kandahar and later Haiti around 2010, who’s story shows that being a CAF member is about so much more than fighting; and finally Captain Jackie Ruis, current Chinook helicopter pilot, deployed to West Africa to support on-going peacekeeping efforts. These stories personalized the sacrifice made by real people in a very tangible way.
Petty Officer Hale is also part of the “Ship to Shore” program our Gr. 4 & 5 All Boys School students are participating in. Ship to Shore connects our students with the Royal Canadian Navy, HMCS Calgary and HMCS Tecumseh. Students are learning about life on the ship and being a part of the Royal Canadian Navy, which connects directly to the curriculum on Global Citizenship.
