Remembrance events began this week for pupils in the Pre-Prep on Monday, with Mrs Murphy’s assembly on how important our memory is to us and why we might use it in all sorts of different ways. On Wednesday, in line with national restrictions which were imposed upon Remembrance events, here at the Prep the boys observed two minutes’ silence in their rooms with their teacher. Those of us who could not be with the boys managed to find a quiet place and observe the same, on our own.
On Wednesday morning the boys in the Prep also solemnly watched and absorbed material that Mrs Sunderland had kindly prepared for us all, explaining the origins of the two World Wars. I wandered about whilst the boys were being stepped through this, and was fascinated to hear how individual colleagues were adding their own, personal details regarding why it is important for them to remember all those who made the ultimate sacrifice so that we enjoy our freedoms today. Mrs James, for instance, highlighted how the Second World War had a particular impact on the residents of Hampton, drawing from information she has come across from a local history group she belongs to. Mr Salt, as he has done in previous years, drew upon aspects of his prior military career and ran a Q&A session in the James Hall for the Year 6 boys so they could find out more about what being a member of HM Armed Forces really means in practice today.
Year 5 boys created their own ‘Runway Perspective’ pieces in response to the work of official War Artist Eric Ravilious. In September 1942 Ravilious flew with 4 airmen in a Lockheed Hudson on a rescue mission and was lost off the Icelandic coast. He was one of three War Artists who lost their lives in action during the Second World War.
