We Will Remember Them

Girls and staff at Pipers Corner School marked the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Armistice at the end of World War One with a special act of Remembrance today. 

 As part of the national "There But Not There" campaign, the School installed its own Tommy Figure, which was dedicated during a Remembrance Service in honour of all men and women who have given their lives in conflict, with a particular focus on the First World War. 

The service started with an incredibly poignant poem “Remember Me”, written and delivered by Lower Sixth student, Katie P. The Last Post was performed by Mr Barr (Head of Modern Foreign Languages) and the two minutes silence marked and drawn to a close by the laying of a wreath by the Head Girl Team. Finally there was a beautiful performance from the Choir of Mozart’s “Laudate Dominum”.  

As part of our act of remembrance, members of the school community had been invited to make a poppy to be “planted” in the school quad. Every girl and staff member was asked to research the name of someone in his or her family who has served, or been affected by conflict, or alternatively find out about someone in the local community. The names of these people were then written on the leaves of our poppies. The resulting ribbon of poppies was an incredibly emotive sight, encouraging the whole school community to reflect on the very real cost of the lives lost in the Great War. 

The "There But Not There" project (www.therebutnotthere.org.uk) aims to Commemorate, Educate and Heal:  

• Commemorate those who died in the First World War through installations of silhouettes wherever there is a Roll of Honour. 
• Educate all generations, particularly today’s younger generation, born nearly 100 years after the outbreak of WW1, to understand what led to the deaths of 888,246 British and Commonwealth service personnel. 
• Heal today’s veterans who are suffering from the mental and physical wounds of their service by raising substantial funds through sales of the Tommy Figures.