Students from St Joseph’s Primary School recently embarked on a memorable and meaningful excursion to Canberra as part of the school’s Tales of Hope project. The day began with a visit to the Australian War Memorial, where students reflected on the service, sacrifice and courage of Australia’s servicemen and women. Students were taught about the Battle of Lone Pine. The experience provided students with an important opportunity to deepen their understanding of Australia’s history and honour the stories of those who have served our country. Students also visited Parliament House, where they had the opportunity to meet with Federal Member for Riverina, Michael McCormack, and learn more about Australia’s democracy and leadership. St Joseph’s students were lucky enough to learn about Australia’s history at the Australian War Memorial. The excursion was made possible through the Veterans’ Community Grant and will help support the continuation of Tales of Hope which is a special student-led project focused on capturing, preserving and sharing the stories of local veterans within the Grenfell community. Students had the opportunity to see the Commemorative Courtyard which is the heart of commemoration at the Memorial, including the Roll of Honour, Pool of Reflection, Eternal Flame, Hall of Memory and Tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier. The project not only connects students with important moments in Australian history, but also strengthens ties within the local community by ensuring the stories of local veterans are remembered for generations to come. Between learning students also had time to play.
