News Release
November 9, 2009
For Immediate Release
War Veteran speakers and Museum-Quality Display highlight Dufferin-Peel’s Remembrance Day events
Students and staff from Dufferin-Peel Catholic schools and administrative offices will remember the sacrifices of Canadians in wars and peacekeeping missions with special Remembrance Day services and activities on November 11.
“Remembrance Day holds very special meaning for those in our community who experienced war first-hand, or whose parents, grandparents or even brothers and sisters experienced war,” said John Kostoff, director of education. “We all owe a huge debt of gratitude to those who sacrificed much on our behalf and this makes Remembrance Day that much more important to remember.”
On November 11, staff at the Catholic Education Centre will hold a special service at 10:30 a.m. The St. Joan of Arc Catholic Secondary School band and choir will perform at the service.
“Students today are exposed daily, through the media, to war, sacrifice and loss experienced by Canadian soldiers, many of whom are not much older than they are. This, I believe, has a tremendous impact on our youth,” added Kostoff.
Many Dufferin-Peel Catholic schools have also planned services, liturgies and displays to commemorate the event.
Brian Masson, a teacher at Christ the King School in Mississauga has put together a museum-quality Remembrance Day tribute, with an exhibit of over a thousand authentic artifacts. The public can view this interactive display on Monday, November 9 and Tuesday, November 10 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Bruce Melanson, a Canadian veteran and director of The Juno Beach Centre Memorial in France, is presenting to Grade 6, 7 & 8 students at St. Agnes School in Brampton. The school is raising funds to purchase a memorial brick at Juno Beach, which commemorates the June 6, 1944 landing by the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division on the coast of Normandy.
St. Joan of Arc Catholic Secondary School in Mississauga will be holding an outdoor Memorial Service for each grade. Students will participate in a 20 minute Remembrance Day service at the football field, which will be adorned with 133 white wooden crosses, each with the name of one of the Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan. During the service, Drama students will place red roses on each of the crosses.
2009 Remembrance Day Events in Dufferin-Peel Schools
The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board is one of largest and most diverse school districts in Ontario, with approximately 87,000 students in 145 Catholic schools throughout Mississauga, Brampton, Caledon and Orangeville. With over 10,000 employees, the board is also one of the largest employers in the region. This year marks Dufferin-Peel’s 40th anniversary as a consolidated school board.
-30-
For information contact: Nancy Marshall, Communications Officer
905-890-0708 ext. 24278 or 416-540-8126