A Toronto public school named after the late South African leader Nelson Mandela celebrated his life at a student assembly Friday morning.
Mandela met with students and staff at Nelson Mandela Park Public School in November 2001 when the former Park Public School was renamed in his honour.
Drummers who performed for Mandela that day performed at Friday's event along with current students.
After a moment of silence, students told the crowd how much Mandela means to them.
They described him with words such as hero, inspirational, and dedicated.
“He sacrificed 27 years of his life in jail, fighting for his people,” one Grade 7 student said. “He will always be an important part of our school.”
Toronto District School Board director of education Donna Quan said the flags at all TDSB schools will be lowered to half-mast until Mandela’s burial Dec. 15.
In another tribute to the late icon, the Regent Park school has a growing memorial on its front steps, where students scrawled messages in chalk.
Events are taking place around the world a day after Mandela died at the age of 95 following a long illness.
On the day that Mandela’s death was announced, students from Nelson Mandela Park Public School attended a previously-scheduled screening of the Mandela biopic “Long Walk to Freedom.”
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