Margaret Glide

Story appeared in the 2013 issue of QMS Connections Magazine.

BY LEANNE SCHULTZ, OPERATIONS & HR MANAGER

Miss Margaret Glide passed away on September 22, 2012, and Queen Margaret’s School hosted a memorial service for her that was attended by many students, former teachers, and alumnae.

Head of School Wilma Jamieson addressed the congregation and described how Miss Glide, the first headmistress after the school’s founders, was an essential link in the chain that connected the Founders with our present day.

In Miss Glide’s own words, “I know that Miss Denny would not wish me to be merely a custodian of tradition. Tradition must be a moving, dynamic force.” Those words are a description of Miss Glide herself — a moving, dynamic force. Under her tenure, the facilities at Queen Margaret’s School improved vastly, including the opening of St. Michael’s House (Geoghegan Hall), and the building of a new barn, an indoor riding ring, Spurgin Hall, Glide Hall, and Founders’ Hall. Strategic and visionary, Miss Glide was on the cutting edge of best practices in education. Her description of her role as Headmistress is a blueprint for today’s: “My job should be to look for-ward and make sure that here and now we are providing the right foundation on which the next 50 years can be built.” Miss Glide believed that “schools must help children to ac-quire the basic skills. Then they must provide and stimulate the minds of children so that they want to think, to learn, to reason.” Forty years later, these ideas continue to provoke much thought and debate. With in-creasing access to technology, the growth of social media, and the changing landscapes of the global economy, best practices in teaching and learning (including social and emotional intelligence) continue to be the focus of many discussions.

Like the 3-linked chain that is a symbol on the QMS Coat of Arms, Miss Glide was able to connect past with present, joining future. She brought the ideals of the Founders to life; she was able to live in the present and effectively and creatively manage the challenges of the day; and she was able to envision and secure a future foundation that has allowed QMS to provide students with an exceptional educational experience. We owe her our heartfelt thanks.