Family Traditions
Story appeared in the 2015 issue of QMS Connections Magazine.
BY LEANNE SCHULTZ, OPERATIONS & HR MANAGER
ALUMNI ELIZABETH ABERCROMBIE (’88)
To a young student, words such as heritage, legacy and service are just that—words. They hold no meaning … yet.
““Our Heritage Students hold a special place here at Queen Margaret’s School. There are now dozens of students sporting the coveted “H” pin. These second and sometimes third generation students are a living legacy of the bonds within our community that have spanned almost a century. Founders’ Day is one of my favourite events of year, when we recognize our Heritage Students and their families’ on-going connections to the school. These connections stretch across cultures as well as generations.””
To a student beginning a new journey at a school that prides itself on traditions intended to teach young people to be strong, independent and self-assured, the meaning of these lessons is still too far away to be realized.
The Founders of QMS, Miss Denny and Miss Geoghegan, believed in children. They had a dream to pro-vide an education for youth that would leave them with the ability to face challenges and develop their ability to be independent, courageous, self-assured and strong. This is what they wanted for their students, this is what my parents wanted for me, and now it is what I want for my children.
Today, my three children attend Queen Margaret’s School. They don their uniforms as I did. I straighten their ties as my parents did for me. They wander some of the same paved paths I did, and they benefit from the traditions that I benefited from. It is now, as an adult and a parent, that I understand the founding principles of Queen Margaret’s School. I now have the same dream the Founders had over 94 years ago and the dream my parents had for me 35 years ago: my children will learn self-reliance, loyalty, honesty, good manners and respect from their peers and teachers, from within a high achieving school.
I did not have the privilege of knowing the Founding women, but I did have the privilege of their legacy, and now, so will my children.