Proud moment for students
Anzac Day service
It was a proud moment for Katikati College students speaking at the Anzac Day dawn service at Memorial Square.
Head boy Dandre du Plessis and deputy head girl Charlotte Schackenberg said, “It was pretty cool to speak on behalf of our school and fellow students, as a lot of them were there in their number ones, showing support and respect.
“We know everyone has connections with family members who were impacted by the consequences of war, even though a lot of them date back many generations, we honour them and should continue to, for their sacrifices of manaakitanga (putting others before themselves).”
Charlotte has been to many Anzac Day services and watched her sister Maddie speak at the Katikati service a few years prior, but this was the first time she has spoken at a service. To prepare for their address the students met with RSA president Glenn Burt who helped with their research and gave them topics to look into.
“We found out about how many New Zealanders were currently still deployed overseas and which countries they were in, which we both thought was important to talk about during the Covid times we are currently facing.” The students read a poem, Child of
War, written by fellow student Isla Willacy, that was placed in the top three of the 12-17 age group category of Auckland War Memorial Museum’s Lest We Forget poetry competition. As a finalist, Isla was in Auckland reciting her poem at the competition event in the museum’s World War II Hall of Memories. Despite an encouraging audience, Isla said, “I definitely felt some nerves as a response to not knowing what the calibre of the other poems would be, and whether or not mine would be up to the same standard.”
She said she had a great time reciting her poem and hearing the work of the other poets her age.
The brief was a broad theme of Children of War spanning spectrums of both distance and time when considering the harsh impact of war on innocent young. Whether it be present day, Syrian refugees or Kiwi kids left fatherless during the world wars, no corner of the world has been left untouched by the effects of conflict on a fresh generation. This formed the basis of her poem.
“I quickly found myself zeroing in on my perception of the experiences of modern day children trapped in war stricken countries. Children who are all too often caught up in the middle of conflict against their will.”
An Anzac remembrance assembly was held at the school last Thursday, led by Year 12 students, Corporal Luke Townsend and Leading Air Cadet Liam Dykstra, members of the Western Bay of Plenty Cadet Unit. A roll of honour was read, a wreath laid, the Ode and the
Last Post and Reveille played by Sonya
Bullot.