York House commemorated Remembrance Day with two special assemblies on Thursday, November 7. Both ceremonies were simple, solemn and thoughtful affairs.
The Senior Assembly had a guest speaker: WWII Royal Air Force Veteran Mr. Peter Bone. Mr. Bone started with playing the audio from Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s speech to the House of Commons (“Their Finest Hour“, June 18, 1940), before he shared the remarkable story of World War II SOE agent Noor Inayat Khan, the first female radio operator to be sent from Britain into occupied France to aid the French Resistance.
The assembly also included readings from students and a magnificent performance from the Sr. Choir. Senior School Director Mr. Johnston said it best: “…it was my favourite ceremony of the past 12 years. The speaker was touching, the readings thoughtful, and our choir was spectacular. A big thank you to all those involved! Special thanks to Ms. Kaddage, Mr. Cropely, Skylar and Aviva for organizing, and to Mr. Halle and the tech crew for pulling it off so seamlessly. It was a very special event.”
The Junior Assembly followed. The Gr. 3s and the Grade 5/6 choir performed, Hannah and Saphren discussed gratitude, Ms. Abbott walked us through a mindfulness exercise, and the Gr. 6s shared proverbs about peace. Also highlighted was the First Nations involvement in the war, and the story of Malala Yousafzai, the young Pakistani education activist.
Photos from the Junior School Assembly.
Photos from the Senior School Assembly.
Video Clips:
Sr. Choir performs “Bonny Wood Green”
Gr. 6s share proverbs about peace
WWII RAF Veteran Mr. Peter Bone
Gr. 5/6 Choir performance
Senior student readings
Gr. 3 performance
