Crosses and poppies were featured outside of St. Joe's leading up to Remembrance Day, and was the place of St. Joe's tradition in which cadets stand outside to honour Canadian soldiers. Photo courtesy of Mya B.
This past week, St. Joseph’s held two Remembrance Day ceremonies to inform students of the importance of this day and to honour those who gave their lives for our country. Students were reminded what the eleventh month, eleventh day, and the eleventh hour mean to Canadians.
On Friday, November 8, five St. Joe's alumni came to the school to speak about their experiences in the military. Three were from the armed forces, one was a police officer, and one was a medic. They all served around the same time period (their third or fourth year of high school) and found that it taught them lessons and instilled in them an excellent work ethic. The advice given to students interested in joining the military was to find a stable group of friends to whom you can relate when you run into trouble. The alumni mentioned that those who did not have a group of supportive friends were often the ones who were unable to preserve through the training.
Cadets stand with flags as grade nine and ten students perform a 50's themed dance. Photo by: Jocelyn C.
On Monday, November 11, 2019, a Remembrance Day ceremony was held in the cafetorium. Cadets from St. Joe’s began the ceremony by marching in with the Canadian flag. Christina A., a grade twelve student, sang a wonderful rendition of “O Canada” which was followed with prayer, led by Mrs. Walls. Next, Mrs. Chiandussi’s grade 9/10 dance class performed two dances. One was a 50’s themed dance and the second, a poem about the effect of war on a young couple. The ceremony ended with a minute of silence to reflect upon the sacrifices that were made and how hard people fought for our freedom and rights.
Remembrance Day holds a special significance to St. Joe’s, as it is the day that we remember Cpl. Andrew Grenon. Grenon was a St. Joseph’s alumnus who was killed in action in Afghanistan in 2011. November eleventh is an opportunity for current Lasers to recall the importance of honouring those who fought and gave their lives for Canada.
This month, as you wear your poppy, please keep all soldiers, military personnel, and their families in your thoughts and prayers.