Today the whole school community gathered around the flagpole to observe a two minute silence to remember those people who have lost their lives in war. The ceremony was led by Mr Burke and included the playing of the Last Post and Reveille by Year 12 pupil Ben Carroll. 

A copy of Mr Burke's speech is below:

106 years ago almost to the minute the guns fell silent on the Western Front and the Great War came to an end. Today is Remembrance Day. Ever since 1919 we have gathered in ceremonies like this one to remember those who gave their lives in that terrible conflict and in wars since.

People like Private John Parr, a 17 year old British soldier who died on the 21st August 1914, while on a scouting mission near Mons. He was the first British soldier to die in combat. Apparently he lost his life ensuring that his fellow scout could escape back to HQ with information about enemy positions.

We remember soldiers Like George Ellison, a 40 year old soldier from Leeds who died on the 11th November 1918 somewhere close to the Belgian city of Mons, where four years earlier Parr had died. In a peculiar twist of history they are buried just 12 yards apart at the Commonwealth Cemetery of St Symphorien…the first and the last British soldiers to die in combat.

Two men separated by 12 yards, separated by four years of the most terrible fighting, separated by 750,000 British combat deaths, separated by over 10 million who lost their lives during the war. Today we remember them and we remember all people who have been affected by the tragedy of war.

John Parr was 17 when he died—many of our sixth formers are that age now. George Ellison was over 40 when he was killed—I’m a very similar age. Very few of us have had to carry a burden like the generation who were affected by the First World War. Let us remember and appreciate their sacrifice. Their sacrifice helped to create a world where we are free to determine our own choices and our own path.

In the silence please think about this generation but also think about your own experience. It might be that you have been affected by war—I know for a fact that there are several Balcarras pupils whose families have been affected by war recently. You may have been affected by loss not connected to war and there is nothing wrong with thinking about that either.

Now Ben will play the Last post and then we will stand in silence. The silence will be broken by the Reveille which will bring this service to an end.