As we prepare to remember the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War and those who died, year 6 pupils wanted to learn more about the war and its effect on the local community. They began by inviting Mr Martin Jones to tell them about the letters written by John Westhead who was a blacksmith in Newburgh and was killed in the First World War while serving on the Western Front.
With so many from the village being killed in the war the children focused their research on the 5 people who are buried or remembered on headstones in St Peters graveyard. On the second day Mrs Jackson, Reverend Janet and the class walked from school to the War Memorial to pay their respects to all the people who died in the war before walking through the village to the church.
In church they look at the memorial and on the names Reredos
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- Reverend Janet telling the children about the Cobham family who donated the Reredos in memory of their 4 sons who died in the war
With the help of a plan of the graveyard Class 4 looked for the 5 graves with the names of the soldiers on the headstones.
To end their visit they laid wreaths on each headstone while Reverend Janet said a short prayer then the class held a short silence as they reflected on the ultimate sacrifice each of the soldiers had made made so they could enjoy the freedom we have in our country.
Reverend Janet explained that as our generation grows older we are relying on their generation to continue the annual act of remembrance so we never forget their sacrifice for each one of us.
The whole school are ending their act of remembrance with a ‘Street Party’ in school as they celebrate the end of the war just as families celebrated in 1918.
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