Remembrance Day and Veteran’s Week Assemblies Across
the LBPSB Elementary School Network
by Sarah Zaslov, Patricia Aldred, and Stefanie Gervasi,
Community and Personal Development Animators (CAPDAs)
Each November, staff, students, and our school’s communities come together to honour those who served through thoughtful school-wide assemblies and learning activities.
In preparation for Veteran’s Week and Remembrance Day this year, students explored the meaning behind the different colours of poppies and reflected on their symbolism.
Poppy legend
Red Poppy: The traditional red poppy honours those who served and continue to serve in the Canadian military. It’s the most recognized symbol of remembrance, inspired by Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae’s poem “In Flanders Fields.”
White Poppy: The white poppy represents peace and a commitment to finding non-violent solutions to conflict. It honours all those impacted by war, both military and civilian.
Purple Poppy: The purple poppy remembers the animals that served and suffered during wartime, such as horses, dogs, and carrier pigeons.
Black Poppy: The black poppy pays tribute to the contributions of Black, Indigenous, and other racialized communities who served and whose stories have often been overlooked in history.
Across our schools, students have begun to create powerful displays that showcase their learning and respect for this day of remembrance.
Student involvement plays a key role both before and during each assembly. For example: Students will support or lead assemblies by speaking or sharing poems and help create our Remembrance wreaths, and school wide displays. Students also prepare musical performances and welcome special guests. Our school board remains committed to holding a moment of silence at each of our locations to honour all of those who work towards ensuring our safety, freedom and peace.
At Clearpoint Elementary School, students learned about some of the animals who have been a part of our Canadian military services, such as Sergeant Gander the dog; a Canadian hero. Here are a few of our grade 1 and 2 students’ purple poppies. These purple poppies are being used to create our school’s wreath which will be displayed and laid during the assembly.
Check out some of the videos about animals in the military created for Veterans’ Week activities here:
Bonfire the Horse; Finding Winnie; Simon the Cat; Gander the Dog
Students at Lasalle Senior made different coloured poppies and Canadian Flags with written messages. They are preparing to create a peace garden that will be displayed in front of the school.
Students learned about the struggles that war can cause and the famous story of ‘Winnie the Pooh’. Here are a few citizen league members helping assemble the poppies and the flags:
At St. Charles Elementary School, students, guided by their music teacher Aline Lajoie, are preparing to perform the song “Soldier” in honour of our guest speaker and all veterans during the upcoming school-wide ceremony. Meanwhile, the Peace Pals are getting ready to introduce themselves to the school community and share how their leadership program fosters conflict resolution and promotes a culture of peace.
Community connections also enrich these experiences. Many schools invite local veterans and current members of the Canadian Armed Forces, as well as family members to share their stories. This helps students connect history to real life and deepen their understanding of sacrifice and service.
This year’s focus on the brave animals, contributing to community, teamwork, and peace has reminded students of the ongoing importance of kindness, empathy, and reflection in today’s world.
“We show love when we wear our poppies over our hearts, we should all be showing love every day.” (grade 1 student at Clearpoint Elementary School)
“I wish everybody would just get along.” (grade 6 student at Lasalle Senior)
