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Academy pays tribute to war dead in ‘pillars of poppies’ installation

ByFrench

Oct 1, 2018

Staff and students at a Middlesbrough academy have paid tribute to the First World War fallen by creating a ‘pillars of poppies’ art installation.

Virtually everyone at The King’s Academy, in Coulby Newham, contributed to the display by handmaking paper poppies, which were carefully attached to columns in the reception area.

Many students wrote messages of thanks and remembrance on their poppy, some including the names of relatives lost in First and Second World Wars.

The work was the idea of married teachers Nicola and Philip Scarr, and the 1,300 poppies were installed with the help of sixth formers.

Mrs Scarr, a teacher of RE and art, said: “We’d been to a couple of churches in the region where there are some lovely displays and we thought we really should do something at the academy.

“The students have really engaged with the activity and it has inspired some to research their own family histories and relatives who served in the war.

“It has brought the school community together during this important time.We think it looks fantastic and believe it to be a very fitting tribute and act of remembrance.”

Student Morgan Quinn said: “The poppies didn’t take long to make and I really like the way it looks. I think we should keep it up for a long time.”

By French