PUPILS at Westbury Leigh Primary School recently held a ‘Purple Up Day’ to raise awareness for children who have a parent or parents in the armed forces.
The school’s Troopers are a group of children who all have a military connection, and they meet regularly to support each other through activities and sharing experiences. The group led an assembly where they shared their feelings about being a military child and also invited parents to a special breakfast.
April is the designated month for the military child, and it is a time to celebrate and raise awareness of the unique experiences children from an armed forces background may encounter.
A member of the Troopers, Aaliyah, said, “We use purple as the colour of military children as they have parents in all branches of the forces and purple is the colour when you combine all the forces colours together. The dandelion is used as it’s a strong flower that can bloom and flourish wherever it lands.”
Another member, Ava, added, “Sometimes being a military child can be hard because you have to move houses and schools a lot. When we had to move school, we had to make new friends, which was ok, but it was sad to leave my old friends. My dad had to leave a lot and it was hard but when he came home it was so exciting to see him. This group helps me because we can share things and support each other.”
Aaliyah said, “Being a military child is very exciting since I get to learn lots of interesting things, like learning about tanks. However, sometimes it can be negative. This is because I have had move schools twice and move houses four times which meant that I left all my friends behind. When I was born my dad went to Afghanistan. It was hard for all my family while he was away.”
Headteacher Mrs Grimsey said, “Our children led a thought-provoking and inspiring worship that raised the profile of our service children; we are so very proud of them. We encourage all children to flourish no matter what challenges they may face. We work to help them be confident, unique and aspirational individuals who are ready to step forward and make their mark on the future!”
