At the Junior School, students expressed gratitude for the service of Indigenous and non-Indigenous veterans. During a talk by Military Police Officer Sergeant Don Richard, we were reminded of the importance of paying tribute to people who served Canada during historical conflicts, as well as those who are in the armed forces today.

One of the Grade 5 classes shared a poem called “We Remember” that they wrote collectively. There were two musical performances; the Junior Choir sang “Al Slosha D’varim” and the Primary and Junior Choirs sang “Child of Peace.”

The assembly for the Middle and Senior Schools began by recognizing the service and sacrifices of First Nations, Inuit and Métis soldiers. Members of YORKConnect, a student group that uses specialized design skills and innovative technologies to produce media content, created a video for the assembly that highlights the contributions of Indigenous veterans. Watch the video here. 

The second part of the assembly paid tribute to the courage of all veterans. The Middle School Concert Band played “Oh Canada” and the Grade 6 Choir sang “Peace I Leave With You.” During a reading of “In Flanders Fields”, the Grade 9 Drama class used interpretive movements to convey the message and emotion of the poem.

Members of the Middle and Senior School community helped bring history home by generously sharing the stories of relatives who risked their lives to uphold peace, protect democracy and defend freedom. We learned about the military service of one student’s great-great-uncle, another student’s great-grandfather, and a staff member’s grandfather. Watch the YORKConnect video A. P. Thornton "A Summer Crossing" Remembrance Day here. 

For everyone at The York School, it was a week of learning, remembering and reflecting.