Remembrance Day

To commemorate Remembrance Day, the children in grades 1 through 6 participated all morning in activities that related to remembering those who have served our country in war. 

There were four groups who rotated through four different activities. At 10:45 AM everyone attended a special memorial service in the chapel, which included two minutes of silence at exactly 11 o'clock. Following the service the Kindergarten students lead the congregation from the balcony in a stirring singing performance of "O'Canada". They even wove small Canadian paper flags as they sang!

One activity was to create two wreaths out of red and green tissue paper. The students were able to create a very realistic look to their poppy wreaths, by gluing three red circles of tissue paper together and then attaching each individual flower with a pencil and by scrunching it forward off the pencil they were able to give them such a full look.The wreaths were done in time for the service in the chapel and were a beautiful addition to the chancel, as can be seen in this picture here.

Valentines for Vets #valentinesforvets was another activity in which the students wrote Valentines that will be mailed to Canadian vets in February. They folded paper so that they would cut four heart shapes out of the paper at once. Next they glued them into a poppy shape and attached them to the front of the card.

Then they cut a small black circle for the poppy middle and put a greeting on the front of the card in marker.

 Next the students wrote messages to the war veterans that they will receive in February.

 

This beautiful mural was created to illustrate The Highway of Heroes. #highwayofheroes. 

The students worked together sketching and planning what they wanted to be on the banner and then filling it in with paint. 

It is hard to believe that four groups of students worked on it at separate times!

Because learning about war means working toward peace, we had the students create doves for peace. The doves will float in the entrance lobby when they are finished.

The students worked at different stations to create their doves of peace. First the students coloured in poppies that would later be attached to the doves. Then they cut out the poppies.

 Next they painted their doves and then placed the poppy on the dove while it was still wet to make it stick.

  Overall the final appearance of the dove is quite lovely! Well done children!

Parents, students and Olivet School teachers love the Olivet School community for its caring, home-like quality, very small class sizes and its rich academic program taught with a foundation in Christian values. If you have been looking for elementary education which combines the strength of top quality teaching with the individual attention and opportunities of a personalized learning community, then you too will love Olivet School. For more information about Olivet School, private school in Etobicoke, please visit our website.  

Remembrance Day

No reasonable person seeks warfare.  On the other hand, while evil remains in the world, there will be people who try to take lives, property, or freedom from others.  Defending one's home, or one's homeland from such an assault is sometimes necessary, and those of us who live in freedom and prosperity need to remember from time to time that our freedom and prosperity came at a high price.  It is appropriate, therefore, that we take some time every year to honour the memory of those who put down the tools of their daily work for a time and served the cause of freedom.

The book True Christian Religion puts it this way:  “That one's country should be loved, not as one loves himself, but more than himself, is a law inscribed on the human heart; from which has come the well-known principle, which every true man endorses, that if the country is threatened with ruin from an enemy or any other source, it is noble to die for it, and glorious for a soldier to shed his blood for it.  This is said because so great should be one's love for it.  It should be known that those who love their country and render good service to it from good will, after death love the Lord's kingdom, for then that is their country; and those who love the Lord's kingdom love the Lord Himself, because the Lord is the all in all things of His kingdom” (TCR414). 

 

 Today is Remembrance Day.  We invite you to reflect on the blessings we have in Canada and think about those people who bravely fought to make it possible for us – and many others – to enjoy those blessings.

 

Rev. James P. Cooper

Pastor, Olivet Church

 

For more information about Olivet School please visit our website www.olivetschool.ca.

Author Jean Miso Comes for a Surprise Visit!

On Tuesday, November 16, Jean Miso, author of "We'll Never Forget", visited Olivet New Church School. She graciously read portions of her book and sang the accompanying song. We are tremendously honoured that Ms. Miso surprised us with her visit and then spent time with us helping to make the book come alive.


"We'll Never Forget" is a wonderful book written to honour those who have served Canada both in war and in peacekeeping missions. It is suitable for all ages, as there are two stories running side by side; one is a lovely picture book illustrated beautifully by Asher Sadeh, and the other is a series of mini biographies of a variety of men and women who have served Canada in the military. The artwork is enchanting and the photographs accompanying the biographies work to bring the stories alive. The fact that the book comes with its own CD only adds to the multidimensional qualities of this very special book. For our Facebook friends; "you will "like" this book!!"

A short video of Jean Miso, musician, music composer and author, demonstrating the hand signals that go with the chorus in the song "We'll Never Forget" featured in her book of the same name.

If you are interested in learning more about Jean Miso or purchasing your own copy of "We'll Never Forget," please visit her website at http://www.jeanmiso.ca/.

Remembrance Day

The Junior Room students attended the Remembrance Day service held at the cenotaph at Etobicoke's Civic Centre.


On November 11, we went to Etobicoke Civic Centre to be part of the Remembrance Day service there. We saw many older men in uniform, some in wheelchairs, proudly wearing medals on their chest. The ceremony was long in spots and there were some long speeches, but we saw the wreaths being dedicated and then being laid under the Cenotaph. The girls were extremely well behaved and learned something about the importance of honouring those who fought for us.

The Junior Room Observe Remembrance Day

The children in the Junior Room learned about why we observe Remembrance Day. They worked as a team to create a beautiful memorial wreath out of tissue paper.