Today is the 11th of November, one of the most important dates not just in the history of our country, but the history of the world. One hundred and four years ago today, the guns fell silent on the most destructive event human beings had ever seen, World War I.
The ceasefire, the order to stop fighting, happened at 11am. This made it the eleventh hour, of the eleventh day, of the eleventh month. The closest Sunday to the 11th of November is always chosen as Remembrance Sunday, but we were proud to be able to hold our school Remembrance Service at St Philip’s church on this very special day.
As we all know, poppies are a symbol of remembrance and many people wear one throughout November every year to show that they are thinking about all of the men and women in the armed forces who gave their lives in the World Wars and in other conflicts in recent history. Year 8 have just returned from a visit to Bovington Tank Museum, where an impressive war memorial reminds visitors that British servicemen and women have given their lives in every single year since the end of World War I, despite times when the world has been judged to be at peace.
Remembrance is a time to consider communities. This morning we saw the St Philip’s war memorial, recording the names of those members of the congregation who went away to war and never returned. Many of their bodies lie overseas, but they are forever remembered here in the church where they worshipped as part of a community. We at St Christopher’s are proud to be part of the community to which St Philip’s ministers. As a school community, we have worked on the art installation which you can see below as our way of remembering the fallen. Every member of our community, from Reception to Year 8, and all our adult staff, has had the opportunity to contribute. By joining together as a community, and ensuring that the young are aware of why we mark this occasion, we ensure that those who have given their lives in service of their country will never be forgotten.
Ms E Lyle, Head