WARATAH West Public students have exchanged stories with veterans at the school's annual Anzac Day service, which also featured the Australian Armed Forces Re-enactment Heritage Unit and bagpiper Peter Campbell.
Guests and students at the Friday service laid rosemary, listened to the Ode to the Fallen and sang Advance Australia Fair.
Hunter School of the Performing Arts trumpeter Lucy Hirneth sounded The Last Post and the Reveille.
Vice captain Revan Rashid, 11, said emceeing the event and reciting the Ode to the Fallen was "nerve wracking but for a good benefit".
"It made me feel nervous, but also happy to be part of a community that remembers everyone who sacrificed their lives," he said.
"We're able as a school to remember them after 100 years. Even after 1000 years we will be able to remember them.
"People would lie about their age, went to war, went without food and got diseases, which killed more people than the shooting did."
He said it was important to pause for reflection.
"It remembers the day that people sacrificed their lives for their country, whether they were accepted or not counted as citizens," he said.
"If we don't remember people who sacrificed their lives so we could see another day, that would be really wrong. They did a lot for us."
Student Tyler Chapman read a tribute to military service by members of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
He said they had a "long and proud but often little known history of contributing to Australia's military efforts".
He said Aboriginal people captured the first Japanese prisoner of war in Australia.
He said 1000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people enlisted in World War I and 3000 Aboriginal and 850 Torres Strait Islander people enlisted in World War II.
"They were serving for 87 years in the armed forces before they were considered citizens of Australia."
President of the Waratah - Mayfield - Islington RSL Sub-Branch Dennis Lewis said veterans had been attending school services for many years.
"It's great," he said. "It's fantastic. We try and convey back to them the Anzac spirit and to learn about what our forefathers sacrificed by going to war for freedom."
