On Tuesday, May 9, our students of Grade 9 were invited at the French Residence to celebrate memory, a moving event we had the luck to follow live.
With the presence of the Consul General of France in Shanghai, M. Joan Valadou, the Consul General of Sweden in Shanghai, Ms. Marie-Claire Swärd Capra, the defense mission of the French Embassy in China, the Association of Le Souvenir Français (The French Memory), and the School Leadership and representatives, the ceremony opened with several speeches about Europe, its values, and its current issues.
We were shown the work done by students on the Chinese workers sent to Europe during World War I through a beautiful exhibition prepared and arranged with the support of their history & geography and art teachers. We then all gathered to listen to the poignant songs of our choir, “L’Hymne à la Joie” and “Larmes d’Ivoire” were welcomed with emotion by the entire audience.
The signature of the Convention between the Association of Le Souvenir Français and our school, following the solemn handover of the flag belonging to the Orphans of the war in Ain came symbolysing the dedication and work around memory our school and students do. In memory of the heroes who died for France, we are proud to now have the responsibility to make this flag live.
Finishing the ceremony with the French national anthem “La Marseillaise”, it is with emotion that the morning ended.
