The yearly Remembrance Day assembly at Riverside honours all the Canadian soldiers who fought and lost their lives for the peace we have today.
The Remembrance Day assembly at Riverside began with the cadets marching out to the center of the gym while Private Letnes-Zachary played the bagpipes and Sergeant Guanzon-Brooke and Petty Officer Iversen-Mark carried the Canadian and British Columbian flags. The other cadets in the ceremony included Sergeant Inden-Peter, Master Corporal Abbas-Zayd, Corporal Lam-Jonathan, Corporal Guanzon-Camryn, Corporal Martinez-Victoria, Corporal Martinez-Tamara, Sergeant Sabaten-Mikee and Master Warrant Officer Cherevko-Anton.Warrant Officer Cherevko-Anton.
After the cadets got into their positions, Emily Taylor broke the silence for the acknowledgment of the territories. After Taylor, Mikaelah Unso sang O’Canada. The ceremony also saw band and choir teacher Ms. Glenda Ottens perform the famous trumpet piece “The Last Post” and the whole school became quiet for the moment of silence to honour the ’11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.”
Invited guest speaker Mrs. Yetty Foulds, who was not a soldier, but a war bride spoke to the assembly. She was married to a soldier during the war, and she shared her experiences about her constant worry for her husband who survived both World Wars. She shared many pictures revealing the realities of war.
Another invited guest was Stephen Carter who spoke the poem “In Flanders Fields,” written during WWI by John McCrae. After Carter’s Poem, Dante Reed sang his original song to commemorate his grandfather, who participated in the Great War. It is not everyday one gets to hear someone sing such a powerful and personal, original song. After Reed’s performance, Ryan Triggs shared his spoken word about his grandfather’s time in the war and his struggles.
The assembly was thoughtful and gave the students of Riverside something to take away and think about.