You are here: Home »
About Us »
Head's Messages »
Anne Everest - Head's Message 06-02
Anne Everest - Head's Message 06-02
Monday, February 06, 2012
This week marks sixty years since Her
Majesty, Queen Elizabeth, acceded to the throne. Her father,
George VI, died on 6 February 1952, while his 25 year old daughter,
and heir to the throne, was away in Kenya. As is the British
custom, there was no gap between reigns: although Elizabeth would
not be crowned until June 1953, she became Queen of the United
Kingdom the moment her father died.
This year then, we celebrate the Diamond
Jubilee. We have an extra holiday to mark the occasion and it
seems right that we should look back and admire a long-lived
monarch who has put her country - and her duty to that country and
its people - first, for sixty years.
Duty can seem an old fashioned term, calling to mind
the idea of responsible behaviour, sobriety and a measured approach
to putting others first. However, it fits well with the broad
Christian ethos of our school, which is reflected in our Chaucerian
motto: Fredom, Honour, Trouthe and Courteisye. These virtues
are not without charm and joy, however: even in the grey days of
February and this present recession, there is still plenty of
opportunity for a school - and indeed a country - to exhibit
ebullient signs of life and energy.
This will be the message of my assemblies this
week. We all have a duty to work hard and do our best, but we
also have opportunities to have fun and enjoy life. The older
girls have just come through a period of revision and mock
examinations, and fun and relaxation may have been the last things
on their minds during this period. There will be many occasions for
them to enjoy school life over the next few weeks through their
lessons and through dance, music, drama, art and
sport.
The United Kingdom will celebrate the Jubilee in
many ways. On 6 February 1952, Elizabeth Windsor very quietly
became Queen at a time of public and private mourning for her
father, the man who had been King during the most wretched years
Britain had to face during the Second World War. St George's
School salutes her years of service.
Anne C
Everest
Head, St George's School for Girls