Remembrance: Isobel Foster and Kelly Quigg started the four-year poppy project to help Defence students at Seymour College transition into the school community.
Photo by
Faith Macale
When Kelly Quigg started her role as the Defence School Mentor at Seymour College, she wanted to begin projects from scratch.
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She said there wasn’t much to start with, so the idea of the poppy project came up.
“I wanted something fresh,” Ms Quigg said.
“I wanted something that would help me get to know the students and the students get to know me.”
Ms Quigg floated the idea of the project with her officemate, school librarian Isobel Foster.
“I wanted the students to be a part of it,” Ms Quigg said.
“Isobel popped up and said, ‘I actually know how to crochet and knit’.”
While planning the project, Ms Quigg was determined to tell a story, not just place poppies on the ground.
The poppy project started as a way to help Defence students transition into the college environment.
“I find kids, in general, open up more when they’re doing craft,” Ms Foster said.
The project started in 2022 when they asked for help from the students, the college and the community.
“We asked for 200 poppies, and we received 500,” Ms Quigg said.
“So the students helped pop it on, and they attached the poppies.”
“During that time, we were talking about their life ... (and we were able to) get to know each other.”
Not forgotten: The poppy sculptures pay tribute to fallen soldiers and the animals used by Australian personnel. Crosses were personalised by students with names of their veteran family members.
Photo by
Faith Macale
Last year, they made a sculpture of a kneeling soldier using red poppies as a tribute to the veterans, but this year, it was a horse constructed with purple poppies to represent the animals that participated in war.
The poppy project started as a school community activity, but now it’s bigger than the organisers ever imagined.
“This year, we ideally wanted 500 poppies,” Ms Quigg said.
“We’re getting close to 1600, and we’ve had them from everywhere,” Ms Foster said.
They’ve received crocheted poppy donations from all over Australia, along with groups in Seymour such as the Men’s Shed and the Women’s Craft Group.
Because of the tremendous involvement of the community, the project’s name was changed.
“It was the Poppy Project — Seymour College, now we call it Seymour College Community Poppy Project,” Ms Quigg said.
Ms Quigg said the best thing about the project was that people reached out to tell their stories.
“They are sharing their story of history that haven’t been shared, that needs to be shared,” she said.
“They’re opening up, and we’re able to share it with our students.”
“Hopefully, that story will continue on in time.”
Appreciation: People who donated and sent crocheted poppies for the poppy project will receive a handwritten letter and card from Seymour College students as well as poppy seeds to thank them for participating in the project. Photo: Kelly Quigg
This year, besides the poppy project, the students also made cards for Remembrance Day as a reminder of why the day is important.
“Everyone that’s made a poppy will get a handwritten message,” Ms Foster said.
“They’re (the students) not told what to write; it’s just their thoughts.”
Ms Quigg said the student body, especially the Defence students, were proud of the project.
“They’re (students) going around with our Remembrance Day Poppy Appeal, and while they’re going around, they’re also talking about the poppy project,” she said.
“It’s starting a conversation.”
The poppy project will continue until 2025, with two more poppy sculptures in the works.