It has been a week of reflection, as we celebrated together our 141st School Birthday on Tuesday, as well as marking more solemnly Remembrance Day yesterday, along with the rest of the nation.
Our theme for Remembrance this year was ‘finding faith’, and we examined the finding (and indeed loss) of faith experienced by the soldiers of the two World Wars, and were able quietly to reflect together on what it means to believe in something greater than oneself, when all around us seems to be crumbling. The musical input from the students was simply stunning and provided real moments of transcendence and beauty in a way that only music can in such ceremonies; it was extremely moving. I chose a poem by Isaac Rosenberg, the Jewish war poet, who is known for ‘infinity of suggestion’ – providing a glimpse through associations into the infinite nature of humanity, and seeking for the things which bind us as the human beings that we are.
And that is where, for me in any case, there is a direct link between the two ceremonies this week: a belief in something greater, which binds us together. Our school has stood here for 141 years as a bastion of leading the way in girls’ education and the Wimbledonian Spirit is something we all embrace, helping to shape our daily lives, whatever our own individual circumstances – it is both bigger than us as individuals, but also forged by each individual. And that, for me, is where real community lies.