The dark days of January and February can be challenging for many now that Christmas is behind us and we wait for the brighter, milder days of Spring.

Morning Chapel Service at Queenswood as an Opportunity for Relfection

In the second century, Marcus Aurelius wrote ‘when you arise in the morning think of what a privilege it is to be alive, to think, to enjoy, to love’. More recently, Anthony Seldon, former Headmaster of Wellington College and current Vice Chancellor of Buckingham University, has argued that the decline of ‘old fashioned religious assemblies’ has robbed many pupils of the ability to reflect during the school day.

At Queenswood, we are fortunate to have short morning chapels, which give the girls time to reflect on important values, the ‘big questions’, and the role of faith. This is also a time in which they may reflect on what a privilege it is to be alive and faced with the abundance of opportunities that are on offer at Queenswood.

Students PractiSe Mindfulness in the School Routine

Anthony Seldon has been an advocate of Mindfulness for some time. The central ethos of Mindfulness is to be present in the moment, thus seizing every moment of every day of our lives. For those of us who remember the film Dead Poets Society, we will remember the late Robin Williams as English teacher John Keating, encouraging his students to make their lives ‘extraordinary’ with the battle cry of ‘Carpe Diem’ or ‘Seize the Day’.  

Queenswood girls are being introduced to Mindfulness by our School Counsellor, and they certainly have many opportunities to seize the day with the rich and varied co-curricular programme and numerous opportunities to be involved in leadership and service, in addition to all the learning that takes place in the classroom.

Paving the Way to an Extraordinary Life

Even at the weekend the girls are encouraged to live their lives to the full, taking part in trips and Saturday Morning Activities, not to mention the vibrant House Performing Arts Competition that was led by Year 11.

We do believe that the girls here will have the tools to make their lives ‘extraordinary’ when they leave and go out into the world.