A day of Remembrance at Sprucedale Public School in Shakespeare

Music director Tarra Green leads the school’s primary choir in singing “The Strangest Dream” written by Ed McCurdy, during the Remembrance Day ceremony at Sprucedale Public School. Gary West photo

By Gary West

Nov. 11 is a special day of Remembrance and the students and staff at Sprucedale Public School in Shakespeare held a Remembrance Day service in the school gymnasium. Many parents and grandparents were also in attendance to see the placement of poppy wreaths by the students, listen to the reading of a poppy poem from the junior and senior kindergarten classes, and hear the primary choir singing the “Strangest Dream” led by the school’s music director, Tarra Green.Green recalled how her own paternal grandfather, Sgt.-Maj. Clifford Trachsel, who was the platoon sergeant of the 13^th platoon C company, the First Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Canada, and fought for his country like many others who enlisted.Trachsel was injured during the war and spent time in hospital in Europe. He came back home once the war had ended.In later years, Trachsel was awarded the Belgian Croix de Guerrero, akin to the Purple Heart, given for bravery shown by men and women in both world wars.