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McNair leadership students created a Remembrance Day video in place of the usual ceremony.
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McNair students create commemorative video
By Hannah Scott, Local Journalism Initiative reporter
Published 3:49 PST, Mon November 9, 2020
Last Updated: 2:13 PDT, Wed May 12, 2021
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Unable to observe Remembrance Day with the usual school-wide assembly because of COVID-19, leadership students at McNair secondary came up with a novel way to pay their respects: via a commemorative video.
Students brainstormed how they could get creative and mark the occasion while respecting COVID-19 protocols. Their video tells a story, beginning with a child who comes across a box of his grandfather’s items from the war. The opening is used to link to the historical section of the video, which includes video clips, images and audio from the First World War.
The leadership students filmed a series of interviews with peers and staff about their thoughts on Remembrance Day, the soldiers who fought for Canada, and what our country means to them. They also worked on a video montage that shares more hopeful messages on how the country has responded and given back after the war.
Students said making the video was “a really purposeful experience,” although there were a few bumps in the road. One particular challenge was finding content with which to close the video. The students said their goal was to leave viewers feeling informed and involved, as well as inspired to respond to the video.
“We, as a leadership class, are determined and working hard to convey our vital message and have high hopes to do so,” the students said.
They added that while it’s important to educate, they didn’t want their viewers to feel pensive. Instead, they wanted to install a sense of togetherness during a challenging time and promote hope for Canada’s future.
“We think we (were) able to produce something very impactful and important, even though the delivery (had) to be different from other years,” said McNair principal Jason Leslie.
In advance of Remembrance Day, the plan was to have teachers show the video in their classrooms around 10:30 a.m. on Nov. 10.
The leadership students said they may add a video project to future Remembrance Day celebrations, but they also recognize the power of live performances and hope to be able to plan in-person events again once able to. Mixing video and live performance is another option they may consider, and “as long as we have a team committed to putting the work in like ours this year, it is certainly an idea that we could utilize for the future.”
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