THUNDER BAY -- After Friday morning’s Rememberance Day ceremonies, a group of students didn't head straight back to school but to a cemetary on the south side of town.
Three classes of Grade 7 and 8 students went to the Mountain View Cemetary, to clean headstones and gravesites of local soldiers who died for their country.
Students got to work with toothbrushes and soap to restore the cementary's more than 700 military graves.
The students are from Westmount School's Academy program.
The teachers said cleaning graves helps give students a real connection to the past.
Westmount School’s sports and recreation teacher Casey Charles believes it’s important to give the students a more tangible experience than just learning from a textbook.
“Many of them were shocked to look at the soldier’s ages, and we have students that recognize names from local families they know,” Charles said.
“It’s a real experience for the kids to get something that they can learn from in an experiential manner.”
After the cleaning, students participated in a program called No Stone Left Alone, which tries to ensure every veteran's grave site is visited.
Students placed a poppy at each headstone, before reflecting on the life of that soldier.
(TBT News)
