Year 3/4 have been commemorating Remembrance Day by reflecting on the meaning of this significant occasion and exploring the symbolic meaning of the different coloured poppies which we wear.

Year 3, reflected on the reasons why we remember and the sacrifices that were made by so many men, women and civilians in World War I and World War II.  We also shared our knowledge of conflicts which have happened, and continue to happen, since those significant Wars and understand that the poppy, which grew in the battlefields many years ago, continues to be  is a symbol of hope today.  From this, the children created their own Poppy Field artwork using a range of oil pastels:

Year 4 explored the significance of the red,  black, purple and white poppies that we seen been worn with pride for Remembrance Day each year.

The Red Poppy is a symbol of remembrance and hope and commemorates those who sacrificed their lives in World War I as well as conflicts which have followed. It is a symbol that belongs to the Royal British Legion, which is a charity that was created by veterans of World War I.  This significant symbol was first worn in the first Remembrace Day on November 11th, 1919.

The Black Poppy Rose,  a charity that was launched in 2010, commemorates servicemen, servicewomen and civilians from the Black, African and Caribbean communities who also contributed to the war effort and continue to do so today.

The Purple Poppy, created by the Animal Purple Poppy Fund, is worn to remember the animals, such as horses, pigeons and dogs which also contributed, and fell victim, to the war effort

The White Poppy is a symbol of peace and commemorates all of the servicepeople and civilians who died as a result of war.  The charity, Peace Pledge Union, promote peace and aim to challenge and alter the way we look at war and conflict.

Through discussion, we reached the conclusion that it is an individual’s personal choice to wear a poppy and one that should not be judged. From this the children sketched their own poppy scenes which displayed an array of poppies of the four colours:

‘Reflection, Remembrance and Peace’ were Y4’s words of the day in honour of all conflicts past and present: WE SHALL REMEMBER THEM