Successful service: Seymour College held an Anzac Day service on Friday, April 26. Photo: Faith Macale
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Faith Macale
On Friday, April 26, Seymour College an Anzac Day service.
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College captains Emily Homewood and Abbie Mitchell had both delivered speeches on Anzac Day at the town’s dawn service and and morning service.
Abbie wore her grandfather’s medals and shared his story as a returned soldier.
“I felt really fortunate to be able to speak on behalf of the school and be able to speak on behalf of ourselves as well,” she said.
“(It) really shows how much it means to us.”
Emily, who delivered a poem during the dawn service, said she felt honoured getting to be a part of the event.
“It’s definitely an honour being able to represent the school on such a special day because we do have that partnership with Pucka (Puckapunyal) in the military,” she said.
“That’s definitely an honour to be able to present how we feel towards the day.”
Abbie said in her speech, although she hadn’t met her grandfather, her family told her about his stories and experiences during his service.
“He actually wrote it all down in a diary, which I couldn't read because it was in script-writing.”
“In primary school, I did a speech on him as well, and (my nana) really explained to me what she went through and what he went through and used the diary to really explain how it was for him.”
“She said that it’s not that she could ever imagine what her grandfather went through, but she was just grateful to tell his story.”
The two school captains prepared for the speeches with their defence school mentor, Kelly Quigg.
“I think we owe Kelly a major thank you,” Emily said.
Lest we forget: The Seymour College school choir came together to sing the Australian national anthem. Photo: Faith Macale
Photo by
Faith Macale
“She definitely helped us with today, and without it I don't think the service would have been as good.
“The school's really supported (us).
“They're all very driven towards ‘Anzac Day is a special day, we celebrate it as one’.”
Both captains said they really appreciated how the school endeavoured to teach students about the Anzacs, and about how to honour them on a special day like Anzac Day.
Over the past two years, Seymour College has honoured military officers of all stripes through a series of poppy sculptures.
“It's really nice that they get to they learn about the Anzacs through making all the sculptures and they all sort of come together as a big team,” Abbie said.
“Kelly really strives towards making the day about not just the past and how that reflects the future, but that it is a day of mourning, and it is really special for them,” Emily said.
“She wants to make sure that those families feel supported, and I think it's really special that we get to be part of that, and help those families, and the veterans, recognise that what they did made a massive impact and has led us to where we are today.
“Without them, we would probably be very different.”
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