Friday, May 29, 2015

Principal's Comment

Kia ora Kevinians and Supporters of the College

Last weekend the final performances of Beauty and the Beast completed a stunning season. Audiences have been full of praise and I wish to congratulate everyone who has contributed to the success of the production. The dedication and hard work of the students have paid real dividends for them and they have nurtured talents that they can reflect on with satisfaction. To the staff and community helpers, thank you for sharing your time, talent and patience as mentors and technicians.



This Thursday we held the Year 11 speech competition. Congratulations to our winners: 1st Holly Malcolm, 2nd Nicole Ogorida and 3rd Kimberley Dyster. In the Level 3 competition Mitali Singh placed 1st, Lily Webster 2nd and Julia Fauth 3rd.  The ability to articulately communicate to an audience is a life skill that we passionately foster in our English and Religious Education programmes. Next term we have the Bishop's Shield Competition, hosted by Verdon College in Invercargill and later this term the Russell McVeagh debating competition.  These are further opportunities for students to develop their public speaking skills and I urge students to audition for the various teams.

As we break for the Queens Birthday long weekend, can I ask that caregivers take the opportunity to look at uniform and check things like missing top buttons and the state of shoes. The weekend is also an opportunity to for boarders to catch up with family and for seniors to sort out arrangements for the upcoming school ball. I wish everyone safe travel on the winter roads and a refreshing weekend.

May God bless you all
Paul Olsen, Principal

Beauty And The Beast Closes To Resounding Applause


After weeks of rehearsal Beauty and the Beast closed the curtain for the final time on Sunday afternoon to resounding applause, and justifiably so.  Congratulations to Mrs Newton, Mrs Foster and all of the cast, crew and musicians on yet another high quality St Kevin's College production.  Thank you to all of the staff who volunteered hours of time in support of our students and thank you to Brendon Liardet and Helen Mulheron for their musicianship.  A final thank you to our Corporate Sponsors and their invaluable support of the performing arts at the College:
LJ Hooker Rentals, Lance Doran Automotive, Spivey Real Estate, Jack Sutherlands Menswear, GJ Gardener Homes, McDonalds Oamaru and Trident Homes Ltd.

Thursday, May 28, 2015

Pasifika Liaison Visit


Throughout the year senior students are visited by university liaison officers to help them plan their path to tertiary study.  This week our Pasifika students were visited by Tapu Vea from Victoria University, the Pasifika Liaison Officer and member of their Pasifika support team.  Thank you to Mrs Jackson to arranging these important and informative visits to the College.

Double Daly Hockey Representation

Sean and Connor Daly (Y13) are flying the St Kevin's hockey flag as members of the Tainui B Men's team, currently ranked at the top of the Sunday Competition table.  They have also been selected for the Men's North Otago team to travel to Ashburton this weekend for the Ian Smith Tournament, competing against top level teams from across the South Island.  This will be a great experience for them both, with the opportunity to play against some former Black Sticks.  In July Sean and Connor will travel to Auckland with the U18 North Otago team for the national tournament.  The Daly Duo will be players to watch!

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Draws For St Bedes And Junior Quad Tournament

Please click on the links below for the draws for both St Bedes and the Southern Catholic Secondary Schools Junior Winter Tournament.  A reminder to parents and caregivers that money is to be paid to the school office by Friday 29 May.

St Bede's - Tuesday 2 June at St Kevin's College

SCSS Junior Winter Tournament - Wednesday 3 June in Dunedin

TopV Beat The Giants Of McGlashan

The U18 Boys Football Team had a great win against Geraldine over the weekend, 6-0 with goals to Pierce McLeod (2), Raji Singh, Sean Daly, Joel Pickles and Michael Stevens.  Well done boys!  The U16 boys lost to a very strong Timaru Boys Eagles team, who are till unbeaten in the competition.  The scoreline was not a true reflection of the grit and determination shown by the boys who gave the game everything they had.

The TopV boys Basketball traveled to Dunedin to take on John McGlashan on Friday night.  Without the experience of two senior players the rest of the team pulled together to face the "giants of McGlashan" and impressed with the way they stepped up to play with determination and hussle to place them in front.  A refreshed McGlashan team came to the court in the third quarter, making a significant dent in the 21 point lead the boys had, however with the wisdom of coach Ollie Smith the TopV found some depth to end the game with a 94-84 win.  Congratulations boys!
(such was the excitement of the game Mr Hitchcock forgot to take any photos.....)




The Girls Have It


It was an A1 set of performance for the College netball teams on Saturday with Senior A taking the win over Waitaki, Intermediate A a win over Valley and the Junior A team beating our own SKC Junior B team.  Well done girls!

The Red and Blue Football teams also racked up wins against Waimate High (2-0 to our Red team) and Waitaki Girls (9-0 to our Blue team).  Great effort girls!

Friday, May 22, 2015

Principal's Comment

Kia ora Kevinians and supporters of the College

Last evening I had the pleasure of attending the Opening Night of our 2015 production, Beauty and the Beast. Our cast have been rehearsing since early last term. and last night all this hard work came to fruition in a wonderful, high quality show. I am very proud of the cast, crew and musicians who have developed talents, and revealed and honed skills that many of the students did not know they processed.

I would like to thank specifically a number of people without whose support Beauty and the Beast would not have been possible:
  • Our Corporate Character Sponsors: LJ Hookers Rentals, Spivey Real Estate, Jack Sutherlands Menswear, McDonalds Oamaru, Trident Homes Ltd, Lance Doren Automotives and GJ Gardener Homes. 
  • The staff who have contributed hours and hours of volunteer time to give our students this opportunity: Athena Evans, Cathy Keep, Craig Mawson, Peter and Margaret Burton, Peter Fulton, Victoria Blair, Tiernach Farrell, Heather Mellor, Sara Plunkett, Tina Dooley, Joy Jackson, Phillipa Sutton, Aidan Haig, and Sue, Leanne and Sandra in the office for manning ticket sales. 
  • Brendon Liardet and Helen Mulheron for their musicianship. 
  • A special thanks to our Director Margie Newton and our Musical Director Trudy Foster, the dramatic and musical life forces behind Beauty and the Beast. 
Thank you and congratulations to the cast, crew and musicians on a wonderful Opening Night and we wish you all the very best for the rest of your season this weekend.

May God bless you all
Paul Olsen, Principal

Our Beautys And Our Beasts


Last night Beauty and the Beast came alive in the College Auditorium with the Opening Night of our 2015 production.  Congratulations to all of our cast and crew, and our fabulous musicians.  We wish you all the best for the rest of the season over the coming weekend!  Thank you to our Corporate Sponsors for their support for the performing arts at St Kevin's : Lance Doran Automotive, Spivey Real Estate, LJ Hookers Rentals, Trident Homes Ltd, GJ Gardener Homes, Jack Sutherlands Menswear and McDonalds Oamaru.

Door sales are available for Friday and Saturday evening at 7pm, and Sunday afternoon at 2pm.  $15 for adults and $10 for students/children.  Doors open half an hour before the show begins.

Obirin Visit 2015

Memories from 2014
For nearly 3 weeks in July, Obirin High School Students from Japan will visit us this year. They will arrive on the 23rd July and stay 20 nights.

Would you like to have a Student from Japan’s Obirin High School to live and have fun with your Family for this time?

If your family may enjoy this opportunity, have chat about it at home as a school representative will shortly telephone SKC Families to arrange homestays for these Students. This will be a fun time for everyone and you may make a lifelong friend.

Prayer Flags For Nepal

The office quad has been given a lift of colour this week with the prayer flags proudly on display.  The idea floated by Ms Walshe as an alternative fundraiser to a mufti day has been enthusiastically received by students.  They were asked to give a donation to be able to write a prayer on a flag in order to show solidarity with the people suffering the effects of the earthquake in Nepal.  Done in house colours Magee House had the greatest contributions but Whyte, Treacy and Clancy all donated significantly.  The total amount raised to date has been $600.  Half will go to the Nepalese Mountain Guiding Assn - a local on the ground team providing immediate and basic relief in Laprak and other isolated villages.  Mrs Sutton is working with the guides to facilitate other essential items, such as solar lights etc.  The other half will go to a project that Georgia Haggerty has been working on.  Along with 6 other pupils from Central Otago, Georgia will travel to Nepal in Sept, having postponed from the original May date.  Their Phortse School Mission is an inspiring way to offer assistance and relief in a traumatic and uncertain time.  Follow the link to their Facebook page to keep up to date with their progress.

Thursday, May 21, 2015

Community Health Notice For Parents And Caregivers

Head Lice

The wider Oamaru community is currently experiencing an issue with head lice and we have been advised of some cases here at St Kevin's.  We ask that all parents and caregivers check their children's hair for head lice and treat immediately if needed as we look to contain and eradicate the issue.  

Please follow the link to the Ministry of Education website for some very helpful tips and information.  Your local pharmacy can also help.

CLICK HERE to go to the Ministry website.

Rowing Recognition

After a season of hard work Sydney Telfer has been acknowledged in the "Crew of the Year" category as supreme winner along with Maysie Scott for their undefeated combination in the U19 double. Sydney, proving an inspiration to all in the SKC rowing squad, has trained diligently over the last year to achieve a national title in the women's U19 double at lake Ruataniwha in February 2015, Sydney attained this impressive goal as a 17 year old.  Well done to Sydney for displaying all the FIRE values that we hold so dear at our College.

Sugar Overload


Updated NCEA App

NZQA have updated their NECA App.

NCEA app

The NCEA Student App functionality makes it possible for students to:
· Create a record of the subjects and standards that they are studying.
· Select and set their NCEA credit goals and targets.
· See how they are tracking towards NCEA Levels one, two and three, including Literacy, Numeracy and University Entrance (UE).
· Set reminders for each standard - such as when assignments are due.
· Capture results as they are achieved and cross check with the school or NZQA.
· Personalise with information such as their NSN number or details about a course or standard (such as the teacher’s name or timetabled classroom).
· Customise with different colour coding options and the ability to add photos.
· Use in English and Te Reo Māori.

The NCEA Student App is free to download from the Apple App store and the Google Play Store.

Other apps available are:
NCEA Pal
NCEA Credit Tracker
Credit Watcher
Credit Counter
NCEA Stats
NCEA Credits
NCEA Hub

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Boys Basketball Beat Out Waitaki

After a disappointing game last week against Otago Boys in a grading game, the Basketball boys came prepared to play some solid defence against Waitaki Boys this week, and share out the shooting duties to who was open.  The final score 66/60 to St Kevin's all the way!   Alex Gonzales impressed with some quick offensive moves and solid marking on defence. He was the only foul out late in the final quarter, but racked up an impressive 18 points to be the second highest point scorer of the night.
Keegan got 7 William got 9 Hikari got 15 Alex G 18 & Matty B 19.

With Ashley Pink's selection for the U17 Otago Netball squad the other girls will have to step up to replace her shooting power in the Friday night Timaru games. Last week the girls went down to Timaru Girls in Ashley's last game for a while.

Friday, May 15, 2015

Principal's Comment

Kia ora Kevinians and supporters of the College

Last Saturday I had the pleasure of attending the Confucius Institute's Mandarin Language Speech Competition in Dunedin. St Kevin's students took out the top places in the local event and our language assistant Ms Bing was awarded a teaching commendation from the Institute. Professor Hong Hu from the Institute presented the awards.
As Nepal recoils from yet another earthquake this week, our Prayer Flag fundraiser takes on even more significance. At assembly, Georgia Haggerty and Mrs Eatherley displayed the current string of flags and reported on house placings. Thanks to Mrs Eatherley for coordinating this student initiative. We hope to extend the project to the local parish later in the month.

Also at assembly I took the opportunity to emphasise to students the importance of attendance, following on from last weeks blog. Developing the self management skills to be on time and ready for learning is a life skill and the number one priority for any prospective employee.

The cast and crew of our upcoming musical, Beauty and the Beast, have been hard at work learning lines, dance moves and songs. I am pleased to report that from my observations this week, we are in for another stunning production. Tickets are now on sale from the school office, so please spread the good word in our wider community to make sure we have packed houses.

Finally, students will be required to attend school at the usual time of 8.50am on Thursdays from now on. Regrettably, I have had to revoked the later start because of my concern over the conduct of a small number of students. Reverting to our previous arrangements will give caregivers and me as Principal the surety we all expect at this time.

God Bless you all
Paul Olsen, Principal

Strike Percussion

We are excited to announce that on the 2nd June at 2.30pm the internationally acclaimed and dynamic group STRIKE is presenting a high energy 45 minute concert at the College.  STRIKE is a contemporary percussion drumming group that draws on styles from around the world to introduce a broad range of modern percussion.  

Subsidised by the College this fantastic opportunity is offered to students at a cost of just $3.00.  This payment is to be made in cash to the school office by Monday 25 May.

Aoraki Secondary Schools Squash Championship

This week Jino Kunnethedam, Thomas Pickles and Karan Ratgali joined Bree Louden, Natalie Preston and Rosie Pope to compete in the Aoraki Secondary Schools Squash Championship for 2015.   Bree and Thomas went through the competition undefeated and the team placed 4th overall.  Well done!

Chinese Speech Competition

Last weekend a group of students traveled to Dunedin with Miss Bing to the Chinese Proficiency Speech Competition.  Diane Vidallon and Chris Olsen gained 1st and 2nd price in the Senior Secondary Category of the Otago sub-regional competition, with Sydney Telfer coming in 4th place (distinction prize).  Later in the day during the South Island regional competition Diane and Chris both received distinction prizes but Diane placed 4th overall to make it to the National Final which will be held in Christchurch this weekend.  Diane also sung a Chinese song in the talent show which saw her win the Best Talent Show Prize.  Miss Bing was also recognised as Best Coach in the Senior Secondary Category.  Congratulations!

Beauty And The Beast Hits The Stage Next Week

The Beast gets some dating advice from Cogsworth and Lumiere
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST is on next Thursday through to Sunday afternoon - tickets are available from the school office $10 for students/children and $15 for adults.

The Home & School will be selling icecreams for $3 each during the intermission and programmes will also be on hand for you to purchase a momento of this great Disney classic.


Drive To Survive

Mark Whittet tries out a rally car, packed with inbuilt safety features.
Yesterday Y12 students from the College attended the Drive To Survive Expo which was held at the Waitaki Recreation Centre.  The afternoon was structured into three workshops, all looking at making the right decisions and choices - Modified Vehicles, Physics Of A Car Crash and You Can Make A Difference - before coming together to hear The Human Cost which included a talk from Danny Hartigan of Dunedin.  He talked about the consequences of his experience, the effects of it and about loosing a friend.  The were also able to watch how emergency services work when confronted with an accident in a simulated scenario.  Thank you to everyone who facilitated this valuable day.

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Latest Sporting Representative

Congratulations to our latest regional sporting representative Ashley Pink!   Ashley has been selected for the Otago U17 Netball Team.  Well done!

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Edmund Rice Feast Day



In Fridays Mass, which marked the 6th Sunday of the Easter Season, the College celebrated the Feast Day of Blessed Edmund Rice. The weeks focus theme of INTEGRITY (Ngakau tapatahi) along with the touchstone value of “Justice & Solidarity” is well reflected in the life of Blessed Edmund Rice. The Masses readings, which came from St John, told students that God’s love was revealed to us when he sent his only Son Jesus into the world, as a sacrifice for our sins so that we might live as good people of God. Fr Wayne continued this theme in his Homily telling of the dedication shown by a young soldier rescuing the body of his fatally wounded comrade. Fr Wayne also explained how the Gospel spoke to people about keeping God's commandment to love one another as God loves us. He then related how Edmund Rice demonstrated this commandment through his life of service to God’s will by founding, and dedicating his life to the Christian Brother organisation.

The names of seven Christian Brothers who faithfully served here at the College were read out in the Prayers of the Faithful in remembrance of their service to St Kevin’s.

Monday, May 11, 2015

Otago Trialists

Congratulations to Y12 students Emma Slater and Ashley Pink who have been invited to trial for the Otago U17 netball team.  Well done!


Friday, May 8, 2015

Principal's Comment

Kia ora Kevinians and supporters of the College

This week I would like to share with you some important National Attendance Data provided by the Ministry of Education. My motivation for bringing this to our communities attention is the increased number of casual absences being reported by our Attendance Officer. A particular concern is a growing expectation that students can take a "day off" on their birthday. Put simply, this is truancy. I want to raise it as a concern so that caregivers are clear about our expectations and feel supported to say "no" to these requests.

The graph below shows the link between attendance and achievement of NCEA credits in secondary school. The link is dramatic. What is even more striking is the strong link between arriving late and failure to achieve. Getting to school on time and not taking unwarranted days off are central to setting the scene for a successful education. This is a partnership between home and school and is endorsed by myself as Principal and the Board of Trustees of our College.

Can I ask parents and caregivers to reflect on this information and use it in your discussions about attendance the next time you get a request for a "day off".

God Bless you all
Paul Olsen, Principal

Drive To Survive

Drive To Sruvive

As part of Road Safety Week our Y12 students will be taking part in the Drive To Survive presentation on Thursday afternoon from 12 noon until 3pm.  Students will be travelling by bus, but those who are intending on making their own way may do so WITH WRITTEN PERMISSION FROM A PARENT OR GUARDIAN.  This must be handed in to Mr Nyika BEFORE the day.  

Parents or guardians who have questions or concerns about the presentation and/or it's content should feel free to contact Mr Nyika via the school office.

Beauty And The Beast Opening Soon

Thanks to Ruby from the Oamaru Mail for sharing this great pic of some of amazing cast!
OPENING THURSDAY 21 MAY - $15 ADULTS  AND  $10 STUDENTS/CHILDREN
A big thank you to our Corporate Character Sponsors who have joined the Beauty and the Beast team:
Jack Sutherlands Menswear
McDonalds Oamaru
GJ Gardner Homes
Trident Homes
Spivey Real Estate Ltd
Lance Doran Automotives
LJ Hookers Rentals

Yr 10 Speech Winners

Madeleine and Froukje - absent Georgia Vickers.
The Y10 Speech Competition was held yesterday and the girls had it as Madeleine Harrop lead with way with an inspiring speech to take first place.  Thank you to Mrs Jackson who was the adjudicator and congratulations also to Georgia Vickers who came second and Froukje Edzes who placed third.

Forty Hour Famine

The 40 Hour Famine is coming up very soon and once again students from the College will be doing their bit.  Held over the weekend of the 22-24 May booklets will be available from the school office from Monday.  Students participating can join the St Kevin's school group -  Forty Hour Famine sign up

Home & School News


The Entertainment Book

An SKC Home & School fundraiser

Great deals on shopping, eating out, travel and much more

$60.00 per book 
(book valid for one year from 1 June 2015)
Contact Claire 021 031 8972

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

China 2015


During the holidays, myself, Nicole Ogorida, Imogen Brew and Waimania Hawkings headed to China for a 15 day camp.  On the 5/6 of April we did a total of 20 hours of travel from Oamaru to Wuhan.  We flew out of Christchurch into Auckland to catch a connecting flight to Shanghai.  From Shanghai we flew to Wuhan where we would be staying for the next week.

We stayed on campus at the University of Science and Technology (HUST).  The following day started with an Opening Ceremony.  That evening we started our first of four language classes.  The first school we visited was in the country which meant a 6am start!  At the school we played football, basketball and other various sports with them.  We also got to experiences their classes.  In the days that followed we visited a local high school where we attended a Y12 physics class and martial arts.  We got to go to one of the many malls in Wuhan.  Halfway through out stay we got a day to ourselves.  We mainly just played football with the St Bede's boys and some St Margaret's girls.

The next city was Beijing, where we got to watch an acrobat show, visit the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, Temple of Heaven and other famous tourist locations.  The Great Wall was stunning, crowded with people and very big!  While we were in Beijing, the largest sand storm in over a decade hit, leaving the city with a blanket of red dust.  One of the last things we did in Beijing was have a photo stop at the Water Cube and the Olympic Stadium (Birds Nest).

The final city we visited was Shanghai.  In Shanghai we visited the Oriental Pearl Tower.  From the top of the tower you could see right across Shanghai.  That evening we took a boat cruise on the Pu river.  Our last full day in Shanghai was filled with last minute shopping trips in the local markets and local shopping centre.

We made some really good friends with the locals and with students from other schools on our camp.  We all still keep in touch with our "group" we formed and with our Chinese friends.  China is somethings we are not going to be able to forget.  The camp was definitely a trip of a lifetime and something we would all like to experience again if we were given the chance.

By Ellie Graham.

Weekend Sport


Winter sport is now well under way at the College.  There were wins for the Girls Football in Waimate, the U16 Boys in Timaru, a loss for the U18 Boys who played against Meadowbank.

The 1st XV suffered a single point loss in the last two minutes against Kavanagh during the SKC Rugby Club Day and the U16 lost to WBHS.  The two SKC U14.5 teams played each other and the Red team were victorious on the day.

On the netball court there were losses for our Senior teams and wins across the board for the Intermediate and Junior A teams.  Junior Red drew against their competition and Junior B had the weekend off with a bye.  On the Basketball court the TopV boys took a win against Kings 75-52 while the girls were defeated by Craighead.

Monday night hockey in Timaru saw the SKC Boys have a fantastic win over Mountain View by a staggering 12 goals.  Great contributions from all of the tea and a nice display of finishing by Thomas Wylie with 6 goals on the wing.

Friday, May 1, 2015

Principal's Comment

Kia ora Kevinians and Supporters of the College

Thank you to everyone who helped with the Wednesdays ANZAC Service held at the Chapel and Magee Memorial Lawn. In particular I would like to acknowledge the Combined High Schools Firing Party and Guard, the Waitaki District Schools Pipe Band, bugle player Andrew Hayes, DRS Tony Mullally, Cathy Keep and Polly Harper for their contribution. This year we viewed a short documentary about the Harper brothers from Geraldine, exploring there involvement in the First World War. These men are Polly's great uncles. Their descendants attended St Kevin's, and Polly proudly continues the Kevinian tradition.
On Thursday, we held our annual Open Day. The Library area was filled with guests for both the day and evening sessions. Thank you to the Home and School team for providing hospitality and a warm supper on a cold evening. If there are any people who missed the Open Day and would like to arrange a tour, feel free to contact the office and we can organise a time for you to visit. Enrolments are being processed on a "first in" basis so we can plan for an extra class if required. I am happy to discuss any questions about enrolment eligibility or non-preference applications.

We wish the the Business Studies students every success as they hone their entrepreneurial skills along side students from Waitaki Boys' and Girls' at their Business Camp. The "Dragon's Den" type activity is a first for the district and we look forward to student feedback.

May God bless you
Paul Olsen, Principal

Yr 12 Speech Competition

The tradition of public speaking at the College continues with the Yr12 Speech Competition which was held in the Auditorium yesterday.  Head Girl Sydney Telfer was the adjudicator and commended the high standard.  Students were required to give two perspectives on an issue of their choosing.  First place was given to Karan Ratgali who spoke about corporal punishment, second place to Kate Caldwell and third to Regan Holland.  Congratulations!

Special Character Focus

RESPECT (Whakaute) - Gospel Spirituality

"This is God's commandment: believe in Jesus and love one another"


Sacramental Invitation

All students are encouraged and supported to engage actively in the Catholic nature of the College. 

An open invitation is extended to any SKC parents and students from non-Catholic backgrounds who might wish to engage in the Colleges ‘Sacramental Programme’. The four sacraments of the Holy Catholic Church initiated at St. Kevin’s are: Baptism, Reconciliation, Eucharist (Holy Communion) and Confirmation. Equally, Catholic students who have not yet received any or all of these sacraments are also urged to participate in the programme. 

Making a commitment to the Catholic faith allows individuals to take a more full part in religious ceremonies such as weekly Masses and the receiving of Eucharist at Holy Communion time. If students and or parents wish to participate in this invitation or would simply like to know more about the Colleges Sacramental programme, please contact the Director of Religious Studies Mr. Tony Mullally (tmullally@stkevins.school.nz) ph 03 437 1665 (Extn 738) or the school Office.

ANZAC Liturgy


This week the College gathered in the Chapel to commemorate ANZAC Day with a school liturgy.  The names of Old Boys lost in the world wars were read from the Roll of Honour and prayers were offered for the souls of all those departed.  On behalf of the Harper family Polly (Y9) introduced a short TV3 video clip about her great uncles' involvement in the WWI which brought home the horrors of military campaigns.  A procession was made to the Grotto and Magee Memorial Lawn at which the flag was lowered, the Last Post was played and we were joined by the Combined High Schools Firing Party and Guard.  A wreath was laid at the Grotto by Head Students and Mr Kevin Howard (an Old Boy of the College and former soldier) laid a wreath at the foot of the crosses in the Field of Remembrance.  Students then placed poppies amongst the crosses to conclude the ceremony.