Anglican School Position Statement

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Anglican School Position Statement

Since the school opened its doors in 1922, the Anglican tradition has been a part of Herschel school life. Based on our historical Christian roots and Anglican ethos, the spiritual foundation on which Herschel Girls School is established asserts that we are a school where:
  • we affirm God’s love and grace for all, irrespective of race, sexuality, beliefs, gender identity or economic status
  • we provide instruction and formation in the Christian faith through well run religious education programs, weekly worship services, and community service programs
  • we do not entertain disrespect, prejudice, and discrimination against other faiths, and therefore encourage interfaith dialogues
  • we assist pupils to realise their full potential through a well-rounded education with faith-based values
  • we recognise the Chapel and Christian worship as central to the life of the school
  • we strive to be obedient to Jesus Christ our Saviour and Lord

Spiritual Aims of Herschel Girls School

In light of our Christian heritage and Anglican ethos, Herschel Girls School aims to:

  • create meaningful opportunities for our school community to appreciate and develop their own faith, and to pursue a meaningful relationship with God
  • promote study, reflection and appreciation of the Bible, the message of the Gospel and Christian doctrine, particularly as expressed through the Anglican Church of Southern Africa
  • apply the Christian faith in a relevant manner in today’s modern and changing world
  • inspire lives of Christian witness, reflecting gratitude, healthy relationships, servant leadership and active citizenship in our School, and in our broader South African society
  • develop a spirituality that is prayerful, expressed in regular worship, guides choices and behaviour, and involves enquiry and engagement
  • ensure that the life of the School and its activities reflect and respect our Christian heritage and Anglican ethos.

Staff and Pupils

Pupils and staff alike are required to respect the Christian heritage and Anglican ethos of the School. All pupils and staff are required to attend Church and Chapel services and to participate in Divinity classes.

The Head of the School

The Head of the School is a Christian role model, who advances the spiritual aims of the school, and participates regularly in Church and Chapel worship. The Head is licensed by the Archbishop of Cape Town and is required to support the ethos and teachings of the Anglican Church.

Our Chaplain and Assistant Chaplain

The Chaplain is required to be an ordained Anglican priest and their appointment needs to be endorsed by the Archbishop of Cape Town. The Chaplain is required to be licensed by the Bishop of Table Bay in order to serve as Chaplain to Herschel Girls School and in the Diocese of Cape Town. The current Chaplain is the Revd Lorna Lavarello-Smith.

The Assistant Chaplain may be lay, ordained or an intern, and also requires the Archbishop of Cape Town’s endorsement and the Bishop of Table Bay’s licence. The current Assistant Chaplain is Mrs Liesel Juries.

The Chapel

The Chapel is the spiritual heart of the School and is to be treated with respect and appreciation by all who enter its doors. The Chapel is a space for all, irrespective of faith or belief system.

Recognition of Other Faiths

In acknowledgement and appreciation of our social and cultural diversity as a South African educational institution, we welcome and respect staff and pupils of other faiths. Alongside our expectation that staff and pupils participate in the Christian life of the school, we recognise that staff and pupils of other faiths should have appropriate opportunity for religious cultural expression on campus, and opportunity to attend specific religious events or festivals held off campus.

Spreading the Good News

The overall purpose of our Christian spirituality at Herschel Girls School is to tell the good news of God’s love for humanity and our world.

The following verses of Holy Scripture reflect how we understand this love:…

the Lord has told you what goodness is. This is what he wants from you. Be fair to other people. Love kindness and loyalty, and humbly obey your God. (Micah 6:8; ERV)

Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind”. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: “Love your neighbour as yourself”.

(Matthew 22: 37-39; NIV) And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them (1 John 4:16; NIV)

We love because He first loved us (1 John 4:19; NIV)

School Song

We are assembled here in love,
We are united, we care for one another.
The greatest lesson of all is the one
That teaches us to live together, together.

Refrain:
Everyone’s a spark and in the night
Together we make a light, a fire burning bright
Ad Dei Gloriam; Inkosi mayibongwe:
To the glory of our God: this is what we believe.

In times of trouble we support
Our fellows; we are taught to be there for our friends.
And all around us, there will be
That special unity, that binds us all together.

If we come back after many years,
We will think fondly of the things that we remember,
And the friends that we made then,
These will be friends forever, forever.

By Thandi Siebert, Head Girl 1993