This afternoon, our school held our annual ANZAC Day ceremony. Each year, as we all do, I reflect on what this day means for me and my family - through the lens of stories handed down, historical records, and the occasional rabbit hole on a website (I like to think of myself as a bit of an amateur historian…) But I also find myself thinking about how this day is interpreted by our students. How can people so young truly reflect and understand what ANZAC Day means? 

Many families may not have direct connections to war in the sense of the ANZACs, but might have links to other conflicts - some that have occurred more recently, and some that are still unfolding today. For those students, the themes of war, loss, and resilience might not be abstract - they may be part of their lived experience.

War is a pretty big thing to talk about with children. And we don’t take that responsibility lightly.

The sacrifices made by our countrymen and women - leaving behind their homes, their families, their futures - are so far from the little ‘world of their own’ that young people live in. But through ceremonies like the one we held today, we try to create a space where even our youngest learners can begin to grasp the importance of remembering.

As a school, part of our role is to help students understand the world they’re growing up in - and the history that shapes it. ANZAC Day is more than a history lesson. It’s an opportunity to reflect on values like courage, mateship, sacrifice, and peace. It also opens the door to broader conversations - about migration, displacement, and the ways communities around the world experience and respond to conflict.

At NLPS, we try to make this learning meaningful. Whether through student reflections, readings, or the simple act of laying a wreath, our ceremony is one small way we honour those who came before us - and help the next generation begin to understand why we remember.

Lest we Forget.

Mat Williamson

Assistant Principal