A DAY of remembrance has given students on Teesside a glimpse of life during the First World War.
Pupils at St Michael’s Academy, Billingham, took part in a host of events exploring the outbreak of WWI, its impacts on the country and the significance of poppies and remembrance.
Year groups looked at life in 1914, including the history of The British Legion, trench warfare, wartime songs and watched a scene showing the enlistment of young men in Billingham, acted out by students George Bailey and Ethan Hamilton.
Head teacher Andrew Ramsey said: “Today is an important day for our school where we look back 100 years to the outbreak of World War 1.
“In modern history our country has never been invaded and the reason for that is because of the sacrifice of our grandparents and great-grandparents during the Great War.
“They gave us the freedom to be what we want to be and to live our lives in a free country and that should never be taken for granted.”
Lead by the school’s history department pupils also made hundreds of paper poppies, which were placed on a canvas to create a giant remembrance collage. History teacher Marc Scott said: “WWI was supposed to be the war to end all wars.
“Six million people died, 72 countries were involved and every single person in our school will be related to someone who fought in the war.
“The reason we look back on the war is not to glorify it but to remember the sacrifice of each and every person that laid down their life for their country.”
In a whole school assembly deputy head boy Tom Smith, 15, read aloud a speech that he will deliver to The Royal British Legion in the Forum, Billingham, as part of the town’s centenary celebrations, and school staff dressed in WWI period costume.
History teacher Clare McCarthy said: “We felt that given it was 100 years since the outbreak of WWI we needed to do something extra special to commemorate the event.
“There has been a real buzz in school today and students have really recognised the suffering and sacrifice of the men and women who fought for our freedom.” Pupil George Bailey, 15, of Bilingham, added: “Learning about the war makes me think of my great granddad who was stranded in no-mans land for four days but managed to survive.
“I don’t think we should allow future generations to forget what happened during that time and I think it’s important for young people to realise what was involved.”
