News Release

11.12 November 3, 2011 ottawa catholic school board REMEMBRANCE DAY — A Long Tradition at Ottawa Catholic School Board The Ottawa Catholic School Board realizes the tremendous sacrifice of our military and veterans in the past and the commitment of today’s soldier to the service of our country. Over the past few days, much media attention has been given to the cancellation of a Remembrance Day symposium at Notre Dame High School.

The monies raised from this walk will help offset the cost of the students’ trip to the Vimy Ridge 95th Anniversary Ceremony held in France on April 9, 2012, where students will again proudly represent our fallen heroes and our country. Also, St. Mark students will hold a service featuring fellow students who are cadets (8:30 - 9:40 a.m.). At 10:45 - 11:15 a.m. several students will lay a wreath at the cenotaph in Manotick on behalf of their school.

Like all our schools, Notre Dame High School has, and will continue to have, a Remembrance Day Ceremony. The cancelled symposium was a long-held tradition, but was always held a couple of days before Remembrance Day. The decision to cancel the symposium was made at the school level. Veterans and their displays including replica weaponry are often welcomed at our schools.

St. Patrick’s High School, 2525 Alta Vista Drive, Ottawa 10 - 11 a.m. Moving Remembrance Day ceremony featuring a scene or two from the play “The Boys from St. Pat’s,” a play written by the school’s drama teacher, based on the lives of former St. Patrick’s students who fought in WWII. Students who play the soldiers stand beside a photo of the soldier they portray, or their relatives.

Each year, for Remembrance Day, each school is required to have a service in reflection and in prayer for our military. Here is a sample of events at Board schools for this November 11.

St. Peter High School, 750 Charlemagne Boulevard, Orleans 11 a.m. During their Remembrance Day ceremony, their Show Choir is performing a Canadian song written by Paul Gross for the film, Paschendale. Last year, the choir won fifth place in the National Show Choir competition in Toronto - the only one attending from the Ottawa area. The piece is called After the War.

The Board’s Children’s Choir is singing at Beechwood Cemetery for the National Military Ceremony (11 a.m.) and the Board Chamber Choir is singing at the National War Museum (1:30 p.m.) St. Mark High School - 1040 Dozois Road, Manotick (immediately following the downtown national service) Students will join other high school students in a symbolic “Walk to Vimy.” Approximately 3.6 km, each metre will represent one of the 3,598 Canadian soldiers who lost their lives in the Battle of Vimy Ridge. Students will walk from the National War Memorial to the National War Museum, located on Vimy Place.

All Saints High School, 5115 Kanata Avenue, Kanata Mid-morning Remembrance Day ceremony will include school band, student singers and drama students. Students will collectively be wearing dark shirts, blue jeans and a poppy that day. The school community has also been invited to write supportive reflections/messages of thanks/gratitude on postcards supplied by Veterans Affairs. These postcards will be delivered to local legions during the week of Remembrance. Hundreds of them!

Notre Dame’s Remembrance Day ceremony this year will provide every student with an opportunity to remember those who have sacrificed their lives in all wars, both past and present. Their plans for the day include: • Following an introduction by the students, a drama entitled “Letters” by Evelyn Merritt, will be presented by the drama class • The keynote speaker will be a gentleman from Veterans’ Affairs “Memory Box.” Memory Box is an organization that sends veterans to speak at Remembrance Day ceremonies • Prayers for those who have fallen in wartime follows, with a poetry reading, Last Post, Minute of Silence and Reveille rounding out the Remembrance Day ceremony • The official program ends with a slide show dedicated to the fallen Canadian soldiers during this past year. In addition, students from Notre Dame High School will be joining students from several other secondary schools across the Board at the Commemoration Anniversary Event in Vimy Ridge. As a Catholic community, we continue to keep in our prayers all of the veterans and the current military personnel who represent our country. Their efforts and contributions are recognized not only at Remembrance Day but throughout the year. For more information, please contact Lauren Rocque 613-224-4455, ext. 2330 [email protected]

Catholic Education Centre 570 West Hunt Club Road Nepean, Ontario K2G 3R4 Tel: 613-224-2222 Fax: 613-224-5063 www.OttawaCatholicSchools.ca