In Te Kete we have been looking at Anzac Day and the different aspects that help us to commemorate this day.

The use of the red poppy – the Flanders’ Poppy – as a symbol of remembrance derives from the fact that the poppy was the first plant to re-emerge from the churned up soil of soldiers’ graves during the First World War.

Te Kete students were given the challenge of creating poppies within their own home environment, using any suitable resources they could find. It was great to see how creative anyone was with their creations.

Anzac biscuits are another way we commemorate Anzac day. Anzac biscuits were (re)invented in New Zealand during the food rationing of World War ll. The biscuits were first thought to have been made by the Australian and New Zealand women for the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) soldiers of the World War I and were first called Soldiers' Biscuits. They were later named ANZAC Biscuits after the Gallipoli landing. Legend has it that the troops themselves also made these biscuits.

Te Kete's keen bakers were quick to bake these treats and proudly share photos of their successes.

Some other symbols that help us remember are War Memorials, the Ode, and the Last Post. Our reading and writing over the last couple of weeks has included reading a range of texts based around Anzac Day to help us gather information on how and why we remember Anzac Day and writing Anzac poem.

Another way we have expressed our understanding of how we commemorate Anzac Day has been through art. 

Some Te Kete students have taken the opportunity to research family members who were involved in the First or Second World War. It has been really special to have had students share photos, medals, and stories with the class.

Being in lockdown perhaps prevented us from commemorating Anzac Day the traditional way but Te Kete students rose to the challenge of finding new and different ways to mark the day.