REMEMBRANCE ASSEMBLY 2017 King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys held its annual Remembrance Assembly in Big School on Friday 10th November 2017. We were delighted to welcome a number of Governors, Charity Trustees and Old Boys to school to mark the occasion and share in this significant and important annual event. The Reverend Dr Bob Stephen who is Chair of the Governing Body and Rector of Handsworth led the act of Remembrance as well as delivering a very timely and thought-provoking address which highlighted the necessity to work towards peace in all we do. He highlighted that important facets of life such as showing respect and tolerance of each other, being kind and compassionate and celebrating our differences are all highly significant steps on the road to peace. The Senior Prefect team of Suraj Sanhi, Maryam Shafiq, Shoaib Farooque, Anastasia Martin and Arran Bola all took an active part in the Assembly by reading poems and reflections whilst Suraj laid a wreath at the stained-glass window with Mr Simon Farrell who is the Senior Vice President of the Bridge Trust Society. It was a very special event and a fitting tribute to the Old Boys whose names are listed on the memorial plaques in Big School. Big School was full as both Year 7 and Year 13 students attended the assembly whilst the remainder of school observed the occasion in their Form assemblies. Haec Olim Meminisse Iuvabit THE GREAT WAR DEBATE On the 9th February we visited John Henry Newman Catholic College to be part of a debate which assessed whether The Great War is commemorated in the right manner in England and the UK. After a more physical view of what the war was like, through the presentation of uniforms, guns and other lethal weapons used in the First World War, five experts on this topic led the debate, with several questions asked by students from different schools. I think it was a great experience in order to get an insight into different people’s thoughts and views on the topic. There were, of course, plenty of questions from us, who were keen to challenge the views and opinions of the experts. We looked at the ways other countries commemorate the First World War, and argued whether we do enough to commemorate the war, and everyone who fought in it. It gave me a deeper understanding of what the war really means to countries around the world, and how they continue to remember it even almost 100 years after the armistice was signed. Abdullah Naveed, 11A The trip to John Newman Catholic College informed us about World War 1 and how we view and remember it today. It opened with a very intriguing segment in which we learnt about the different aspects of life in the trenches and how soldiers had to deal with them. It also showed me how much WW1 affects our culture and language to this day. For example, words such as “sneakers” and “chat” came from WW1. The debate was also quite enlightening. The panellists talked about the different people who fought for the allies in WW1 like India as well as some countries in Africa, who they saw as forgotten, especially in countries like England when remembering the tragedies of World War 1. The panellists also informed us about the people who are overlooked when we commemorate the tragedies of WW1, including the children who were hired to replace fighting soldiers in coal mines, some of them as young as 12. Overall, I think that the trip was quite informative, mostly engaging and gave a detailed account of the Great War. Matthew Baptiste, 11G 9