Grade 5: Graland’s Knights in Shining Armor

On their journey, the young knights began as pages and squires and were given tasks to complete in order to achieve knighthood. The students worked diligently to study medieval history, paint symbolic shields, draft public speeches, and ultimately complete noble acts of service for loved ones. 

To formally complete the knighting process, the Grade 5 students participated in a formal ceremony where they delivered speeches on what they learned, the acts of service they chose, and the meaning behind their shields. This event was followed by a parade around campus, where students and teachers gathered to cheer on the newly knighted.

With their freshly painted shields in tow, the new rank of Graland knights had lots of wisdom to share with the kingdom: 

“In knighting, it’s important to have a souvenir from all your hard work, like our shields! The shields are a representation of our traits. For example, my strongest traits are being generous, a leader, hardworking, and truthful. So for my shield, I chose the colors blue, gold, and white, which mean truth, generosity, and purity.” - Lord Rory

“On my shield, I put a lion because the symbol of a lion means bravery. I believe I am brave because I have faced challenges in my life that I have chosen to take head-on. Another component I included is the color red because it represents a warrior, and I think I am a warrior because I do not give up even when things get hard. I also included the color gold because it means generosity, and I strive to think of others.” - Lady Jessie

“My shield represents my personality. The checkerboard I used represents constancy because I constantly try my best to improve. The donkey symbolizes patience because I am patient and understanding. I chose purple and white because they mean royalty and peace.” - Lord Leo

“I’ve been very surprised with how much I liked knighting. Making my dog’s food was a blast. I thought clearing each meal was challenging because our plates are really heavy and my arms aren’t too strong, but I ended up finishing it. Overall the tasks were fun.” - Lady Daisy

“The first week of knighting was a challenge. I was pushed outside of my comfort zone and did many no device days and hours upon hours of chores. I spent two days straight on laundry. This is what pages and squires have to do every day. We had a night where we had to stand as still as a stone and be the butler for our family. And for these reasons, I am glad that I passed and that I get to be a knight.” - Lord William

“I worked very hard to complete all of my tasks. Every morning I would make my bed, help serve the meal, and wash my dish. I helped with the laundry as much as I could and served my family as they wished. I always did it with a smile on my face. This has taught me great discipline, honesty, and bravery.” - Lord Victoria