Issue link: https://publications.tfs.ca/i/1540856
HISTORY AS A LENS ON TODAY'S WORLD Students are finding connections to remembrance inside the classroom as well. Subjects like history, geography and civics provide a platform for students to engage with wartime histories, ongoing global conflicts and current geopolitical events. The classes offer a framework for students to think critically, make connections to the news cycle and develop informed, logical perspectives on the complex world around them. "In social science class, we make sure to leave the doors open for conversation regarding all sorts of topics," says Senior School history and geography teacher Benoît Didier. "These subjects are important. Students are interested in them and it helps develop well-balanced students that connect their learning to the world around them." History Teacher and Extended Essay Supervisor Michael Rehberg emphasizes that a key aspect of the Diploma Program is to recognize and critically evaluate different perspectives. "We care about what students think. Justification plays a big part. You can challenge the traditional narrative, but you have to justify it." These principles are fundamental to when students write their selected Extended Essay topics. Through the International Baccalaureate's Middle Years Programme framework, students develop an understanding of history as a foundation for interpreting and engaging with the future. "We try to make sure they understand that some of the patterns we see in the past are patterns that exist in other countries today. We try not to point fingers, but make them draw connections to current events, such as what they see in the news," says M. Dider, remarking that through history, there's not only one way to teach the past. You can involve the present and the future. "You talk about civics, about what's happening now concerning laws, legislation and borders. In geography, you talk about political decisions that affect trade. It's always linked to news and what's happening in the world. You don't want your subject to be a historical bubble. You want to give them the key to the knowledge of the world," he adds. "They learn the tools to recognize injustice and understand social dynamics. It all connects back to the duty to remember and learn from the past." And while the Remembrance Day education at TFS takes many forms, the role of teachers becomes increasingly significant. As the presence of Second World War veterans and survivors fade, a generational gap is emerging— one where students will lack firsthand accounts of the realities of the past. "I don't know if my son will be able to find veterans or survivors who are able to share their experience. The past is getting further and further away," M. Urfels says. "Although that is the case, the beauty of history is being able to teach them these experiences and how current events can have a deep meaning for them." "Sometimes, it's more effective to teach history itself rather than pointing to a figure and claiming, 'History is repeating.' We have the duty to remember, but also the duty to not repeat certain aspects of history." Grade 5 students participated in an outdoor ceremony in Saint Pierre and Miquelon on May 8, 2025, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. 29 TFS