Remembrance Day

Remembrance Day

This term’s special ‘Ready, Steady, Write’ day revolved around the theme of the famous song sung by Vera Lynn, “There’ll be bluebirds over the white cliffs of Dover”. This linked with this term’s learning about World Wars 1 and 2 in Class 2 and also provided an opportunity for the school to prepare for the forthcoming Remembrance celebrations, which marked 100 years since the end of World War 1. During the day, the children listened to the Vera Lynn song and then completed a range of Art activities designed to help them explore the themes further before planning and writing in response to their experiences. The children in Class 1 completed some collage pictures of the bluebirds flying over the cliffs of Dover and also some beautiful poppy watercolours, based on still images taken from a Remembrance animation. Then, having considered that the image of the blue birds over the white cliffs would have been a symbol to the soldiers of their patriotism and love for their home country, the children reflected on and wrote list poems about what ‘home’ means to them. Meanwhile, the children of Class 2 explored the work of artist, Jacqueline Hurley and created their own artwork in a similar style, using black and white images to contrast with the red of poppies, which they collaged onto their drawings. They then role-played conversations that might have taken place between soldiers in the trenches or between soldiers and members of their families as they left to go to war and wrote play scripts of such conversations.

To mark a very special Remembrance day, which signified one hundred years since the end of World War 1, the school community gathered at St. Winifred’s church on the morning of 9th November to commemorate those who have given their lives in service of their country and perform an Act of Remembrance. Following readings by some of the class 2 children about the reasons for and significance of Remembrance Day and the wearing of poppies, the children presented some of the artwork they had prepared during this term’s ‘Ready, Steady, Write’ day. They also performed a moving rendition the song, ‘Remember’. At 11 o’clock, a minute of silence was observed and then, following prayers read by the children, the congregation moved outside to gather by the War Memorial, where the children lay crosses and wreaths to honour the men of Branscombe who gave the lives in service of their country during World Wars I and II.