STAMP FAMILY SERVICE

On Valentine’s Day, students in years 7 and 8, together with their parents and guardians, gathered for the annual Stamp Family Service held in the Queenswood Chapel. The service presented an opportunity for the Stamp community to celebrate and give thanks for the Stamp Family which comprises students and all those who teach and care for them including heads of year, teachers and boarding staff. Reflecting the date, the theme of the service was ‘The Gift of Love’.

After a welcome by Mrs Cameron, Students played an active role in the service:
Cici R (7W) played Black Sheep of the Family by Christopher Norton.
Lorelle O (7N), Ruth F (7H) and Charlotte K (7S) read Love (III) by George Herbert.
Under the direction of Mrs Jackson, Year 7 sang The Beginning of Love, with the words of Mother Teresa, by Greg Gilpin.
Centre Prefect Olivia N-B (13H), Stamp Prefect, Juniper W (13N) and Year 8 Boarders, Jeannie J (8N) and Darrah D (8H) read the Bible reading: 1 Corinthians 13:1-11.
Emily L (8W) accompanied a photographic montage curated by Miss Milner on behalf of her and Miss Sheeran.

Mrs Ludwick led a prayer entitled Thanksgiving, written by Jonathan Hustler of the Methodist Church.

Mr Puranik accompanied the service on the piano and organ.

In her speech Mrs Warren, Head of Year 7, said that her hope for each new year group is that all types of students - cheeky, sporty, loud, confident, quiet, reflective, well-behaved and the ones who never lose an item of property - will make friends and learn together. Expressing how important it is for her to get to know all students and be part of their different journeys, Mrs Warren said that her hope for every year 7 and year 8 student is that each of them will fail, by making mistakes, trying something hard and messing it up, making the wrong move, saying the wrong thing or trusting the wrong person. This is because each student will never again have so many people around them who love them and will help them make things better again. Mrs Warren said that failing is how we learn; either we learn very quickly that it was the wrong thing to do because it hurts or feels instantly awful – that’s our body helping us learn – or we are forced to look at what we did and reflect, and in that moment is where the magic happens in our brain.

Mrs Warren asked the students to think about how athletes watch videos of their performances to analyse their mistakes; she said that they study every missed shot and every wrong move, not to dwell on failure but to improve for the next game – and they have a team around them helping them to do that. The same applies to life – when we reflect on our failures, our brain rewires itself, making us stronger, smarter, and better prepared for the next challenge.

Recalling that she too has failed many times, Mrs Warren said that the best thing to do when we fail is to ask for help so that we may learn what to do to make it better, improve or change so it doesn’t hurt so much.

Mrs Warren told the students that they are young women; capable, strong willed and full of potential such that they are going to change the world for the better. On the way, Mrs Warren said, students will make plenty of mistakes and fail plenty of times and so, in the meantime, she encouraged them to fail now, and to pick themselves up and try again. Mrs Warren also encouraged the students to ask for help, to learn from each other and to laugh at mistakes along the way; she asked them not to be afraid to fail because every single person in the room will help them and, in time, when the students are the older girls, prefects, parents, teachers, maybe even governors, they will be the ones telling future generations of Stamp girls to embrace failure now, for every challenge the students face will shape them into the incredible people they are destined to become.

In her sermon on 1 Corinthians 13:1-11, Reverend Kate said that the love of which Saint Paul writes is the love of God – agape: the highest form of love which embraces sacrifice and resilience and speaks of promise and endurance.

Reverend Kate said that in his letter, Saint Paul reminds Christians of then and now that our ability to flourish in community can only be realised when we live in the love of God and that we live in the love of God when we wait patiently, demonstrate kindness, behave generously, show modesty, express humility and speak politely. We live in the love of God when we show consideration and an easy-going and easily-satisfied nature. We live in the love of God when we speak in honesty and truth.

Reverend Kate asked us to notice the words she used: wait, demonstrate, behave, show, express and speak; because living in the love of God is not achieved by something we might feel, but something we might do; we live in the love of God when we take action.

In language from her junior school days, Reverend Kate said that love is a ‘doing word’ and so Saint Paul implores us to ‘do love’.

In his letter to the church in Corinth, Saint Paul demands that the community take a look at its less than positive side. So, Reverend Kate wondered, if Saint Paul were to write to our Stamp community at Queenswood today, what do we imagine he might write?

The Corinthians were divided by wealth and status, and so perhaps he might tell us to stay away from divisions and cliques and to focus, instead, on developing good relationships with everyone.

The Corinthians were materialistic and self-centred and so perhaps he might tell us to place our identity in love and service to others and not our material possessions.

The Corinthians looked down on others for having different spiritual gifts so perhaps he might tell us not to compare school grades or social media popularity and, instead, to celebrate each other’s strengths.

The Corinthians misused their freedom in Christ and so perhaps he might write to encourage responsibility, self-discipline and respect for boundaries.

Or perhaps, Reverend Kate said, Saint Paul might just write something like this:

"Dear Years 7 and 8, I am writing to you with love and encouragement, hoping that you are growing in wisdom, kindness, and faith. I know life can be competitive, stressful, and sometimes confusing, but remember—you are not in this alone. God’s love is with you, and you are called to reflect that love in the way you treat members of your community including your parents and guardians, fellow students, staff and teachers. Stay strong, stay humble. With love from Paul.”

Reverend Kate said that the love described in 1 Corinthians 13 is a love we experience as children of God. It is the source of our greatest security and, therefore, our freedom to ‘do love’ in the way which Saint Paul implores us to do. So, when we go from here, Reverend Kate encouraged us to think about how we will put love into action – not as a feeling, but as a choice, so that on a daily basis we might ‘do love’.

Reverend Kate said that Saint Paul’s message is clear: love is not passive but moves, acts, and transforms. So, she asked us to go and live in the love of God - not just in our words, but in our actions - so that we may make our community stronger, because when we ‘do love,’ we reflect the heart of God and what can be a better thing for us to do on St Valentine’s Day?

Reverend Kate prayed:

Loving God,
Thank you for the gift of your love – love that is patient, kind and never fails.
As we reflect on the words of Saint Paul, help us to see love not just as a feeling but as a call to action.
Inspire us to do love in the way we speak, in the way we treat one another, and in the way we serve our community.
As we go from here may our words and actions reflect your heart.
Amen.

ASSEMBLY

Mrs Cameron explained that in our Assembly & Chapel Programme this half term we are going to explore the events that happened in Southport last summer which began when three young girls lost their lives:
Bebe King, aged 6
Elsie Dot Stancombe, aged 7
Alice Da Silva Aguiar, aged 9

Our series will comprise:
A local perspective from Miss McGreavy, whose home is in Southport.
An exploration of the role of social media in what followed by Miss Neale and Miss Garrood.
Justice by Mr Miller.
Lessons for our community by Mr Daughton.

Introducing Miss McGreavy, Mrs Cameron said that, speaking at the time, the Southport MP – Patrick Hurley – praised the response of the local community and church groups for coming together to support those affected. Mrs Cameron said that Mr Hurley went on to say that Southport is ‘a lovely, quiet and sleepy town on the coast. [It] is a traditional seaside resort and this is not the sort of thing anyone is remotely prepared for.’

Here is Miss McGreavy’s story in full:

“On the 29th July last year, I sat in my back garden and listened to the sounds of helicopters above. As time went on, more and more helicopters filled the sky and a sense of dread began to set it. People took to WhatsApp and social media, speculation started, and eventually the news that a children’s dance class had been attacked by a knifeman broke. Details were sparse but speculation was rife.

Slowly, we learnt that three young girls had been killed, and more injured. We learnt their identities, we learnt how we were all connected to them in some way. Bebe King, who was killed aged 6, was my friend's niece. Leanne Lucas, the brave woman running the dance class who tried to protect the children, knew my brother. The home that I grew up in was the background shot in worldwide news, behind Kier Starmer as he came to Southport to lay flowers at the site of the attack. I couldn’t believe that something this horrific had happened so close to home.

The days after saw racist riots start, first in Southport and then across the country. Again, the sounds of helicopters and sirens filled the air and, if I’m honest, I became scared to leave my house. It was the beginning of the summer holidays and I spent three days inside watching sky news on loop.

What happened next in Southport restored my faith in humanity. People came out of their houses, rebuilt the walls ripped down by the rioters, replaced the windows of our local Mosque that had been attacked, cleared away the rubbish in the streets and donated money online. In days, hundreds of thousands of pounds were raised for Alder Hey children’s hospital, for the families of the victims, for the people whose businesses were affected by the riots. Words of support flooded out, people were being nicer to each other, everyone was shell shocked.

The strength in the community was amazing. No one did anything huge, but everyone did something. That was the key. Everyone I knew had donated a small amount, and suddenly there were hundreds of thousands of pounds. Everyone I knew had supported a friend or family member who was affected, and suddenly those people had somewhere safe to turn. Everyone I knew had laid flowers, or signed a book of remembrance, and suddenly there was a meadow of floral tributes outside the town hall.

Normal people came out of their houses and offered small gestures of kindness to each other - and because everyone did it, it was so powerful.

The events of last summer have become yesterday’s news, but in Southport it is still very raw. In Southport the families are still grieving but the community is still stronger than ever. I have learnt a lot about the power of a strong community in the aftermath of these events. The Southport community is not so different from any other small town in England, not so different from our Queenswood community. When everyone in that community stands together, anything is possible. I hope that if you take anything away from this, you will take away that a small act from you can turn into something huge.”

In response, Reverend Kate prayed:

Loving God,
We pray for all the people affected by the tragedy in Southport; may they know your comfort and care.
We pray for all the people still suffering both physically and mentally; may they know your love and hope.
We pray that the sorrow and anguish of those terrible events will spur us even more to build a world of peace. Amen.

On Wednesday and Thursday Mrs Jackson led hymn practice for the whole school and concluded with the Choristers’ Prayer:

Bless, O Lord, us thy servants, who minister in thy temple. Grant that what we sing with our lips, we may believe in our hearts, and what we believe in our hearts, we may show forth in our lives. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.