GNS 100: ‘The gift of significant contribution’

Wednesday, October 3rd was a significant day for our school. Every student and member of faculty at GNS dispersed around fifteen separate locations on the lower island to participate in a whole-school day of community service. That is 750 people from the GNS community!Service is a cornerstone value of both the International Baccalaureate Organization, as well as the Round Square, and is enshrined in the Vision Statement of Glenlyon Norfolk School: By leading through truth and courage, GNS prepares outstanding young men and women of character who will contribute to the world through their skills, their leadership, their commitment to service and their understanding that we are all responsible for the future of our communities. It is therefore “incredibly appropriate,” as Mr. Simon Bruce-Lockhart, Head of School, said to the Senior School in Friday assembly, that “one of our first celebrations of our Centennial was a Day of Service.” In his Friday address to the Senior School, Mr. Bruce-Lockhart identified three ways in which the day was an unqualified success:

1. the sense that many hands make light work;
2. that service operates on many different levels;
3. and that while service is about giving to others, it is also about receiving.

With regard to the last two points, in particular, he said, “The organizers of Wednesday made a brilliant decision—to mix the classes up, so that older students were working alongside younger students.” At GNS, there is always an endeavor to unite the community across grade boundaries—whether in athletics, the arts, debate, or on days such as these. The mentoring of the younger students by our older ones is one of the more magical aspects of the GNS community. Mr. Bruce-Lockhart closed his speech by addressing the reciprocity inherent in service, reminding the school that such a meaningful contribution by our community “is that rare commodity which gives in every direction: to those who receive the service and, equally, to those who give the service.” To watch the video (above) is to appreciate what Mr. Bruce-Lockhart means when he celebrates “the gift of significant contribution.” A special thank-you to the remarkable organizers of this event: Ms. McKerlich and Mme. Girard in the Senior School; Ms. Horne and Ms. Waugh in the Middle School; and Ms. Emmerson and Mrs. Graham in the Junior School. They were all led by Mrs. Hicks, who chaired the committee and worked tirelessly to make Wednesday such a success.