On Friday 14 May, we hosted our Welcome Service for new girls. The pew leaflet was dated Wednesday 13 January 2021. It was a poignant reminder of what we have lost or missed during the pandemic.

So many weeks later than planned, we were finally in chapel, in a service to mark the beginning of a journey at St Mary’s School and in the Senior School. What could have seemed an irrelevant ceremony given the timing, became rather a meaningful and even emotional service. The centrality of our spiritual lives and the acknowledgement of the strength it provides, was almost tangible in the atmosphere in chapel. This, together with the theme of light and our light within, was embodied in the candle lighting ceremony.

The new girls were introduced to a scripture reading which we read often at St Mary’s and marks our special gatherings, Philippians 4:4-9. This, together with the words of our first hymn, encouraged us to persevere through the pandemic and our trials:

In Christ alone, my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This Cornerstone, this solid Ground;
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My Comforter, my All in All,
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

We waited many weeks for this ceremony; it was a beautiful and worthwhile experience. Academics are at the core of what we do but all facets of our educational offering - academic, spiritual, sport, cultural - contribute to the unique and rich experience of St Mary’s School.

DEANNE KING
HEAD OF SCHOOL