Langley Schools Remembers
November 8, 2024
As part of a solemn ceremony, grade 5 students from Shorteed Community Elementary laid decorative stones on the headstones of veterans at a local cemetery on Wednesday. Each stone had a bright red poppy on it painted by the students. It was all part of a community event hosted in partnership by the Alder Grove Heritage Society, the Royal Canadian Legion, and the No Stone Left Alone.
The purpose was to remember, honour, and educate the younger generations about the importance of Remembrance Day.
“It’s about connecting our youth with local veterans, and connecting our youth with the Royal Canadian Legion, and with our community,” said Chris Wejr, principal of Shortreed Community Elementary.
“It’s for these kids to not only read about this in a book, but to understand that there were people that live near where they live, that travelled those same roads, and served our country.”
In the ceremony, one group of students read the Canadian traditional poem, “In Flanders Field” and another group recited “The Commitment to Remember.”
He noted similar learning opportunities took place at the school level, with students deepening their knowledge of both Remembrance Day and National Indigenous Veterans Day.
Over at Blacklock Fine Arts, in the lead to Remembrance Day, students honoured those individuals who have lost their lives, through the use of song, poetry, and dance.
“With arts education it really allows the students to access a different way of expression rather than just writing or telling,” said Tianah Thomas, teacher at Blacklock Fine Arts.
“They’re able to bring in their creativity and their expression through that. With the dance they’re able to get into their emotions and use their bodies to tell the story and through that we were having meaningful conversations in the classroom about how we are feeling right now,” she added.
The multi-faceted performance not only recognized veterans but also acknowledged all of those who have been impacted by war around the globe and close to home. Blacklock Elementary teacher, Laney Mills noted that many in the school are former refugees from places of conflict.
“It is really important to continue to honour not just the veterans and the people that have fought previously but a lot of our students come from backgrounds and places where they have experienced war themselves,” explained Mills.
These were one of many activities and assemblies held during the week to pay tribute to veterans. The District’s Aboriginal Education department also shared resources with the community to highlight National Indigenous Veterans Day on November 8, which is a day to honour Indigenous veterans and learn about the sacrifices they made, while also serving as a reminder of the inequality they faced upon returning home from war.