The Easter break is one in which we naturally look forward to better weather and to the promise of the summer, just around the corner. This winter has been particularly wet and so the possibility of some good weather after the wettest 18 months on record can only be a good thing.
April is a month which has many opportunities for all of our school community to celebrate and reflect, with holy days for Exonians within a number of world religions, not just the Christian festival of Easter. Muslim members of our community have been observing Ramadan since March 11 and on April 6 observed Laylat al-Qadr, the holiest night of the year, when Muslims recognise that the Quran was sent down from Heaven and in the period between this date and the end of Ramadan, the community are especially focused in their prayer. This year Eid al-Fitr falls in the final full week of the Easter break, and, as one of the most important Islamic holy days, celebrations and feasting will be held to mark the end of Ramadan between 9 and 12 April. Eid Mubarak! The Jewish faith honours the freeing of Jewish slaves in a 7 day holiday between 22 and 30 April, Passover. This holy festival being one of three pilgrimage festivals and is a major Jewish holiday. Chag Sameach!
As a school based on Christian foundations and founded deliberately separate from the cathedral in the 14th century, Exeter School is not overtly religious, though we do have a Christian chaplain, and a chapel in which all members of the community can reflect and find spiritual comfort, and a place for quiet, regardless of their faith. We seek to include and celebrate all those in our community, of all faiths and of none, and we ask our pupils to develop critical thinking skills in addressing ethical issues and moral dilemmas, many of which are universal and are related more to being human than to religion or an observance of any particular faith. Doubtless, in common with many schools like ours, the foundation stones, our virtues (or values) have evolved over the centuries as the city of Exeter, and hence our school community, has grown and diversified. We work hard with pupils to consider the key important messages which at this time of year are renewal, kindness, compassion and integration, and to focus on what are the aspects that bring communities together, rather than dividing us.
We watch events in the world beyond our school and hope that our young people will leave us with a real determination to make it a better one – and this can start in school with actions which support those living in conflict zones or fleeing from the effects of war. Our pupils are often highly motivated themselves to support those affected by such human tragedy, and in the last few months we have supported Ukrainian refugees with an exciting art project led by our Young Artists Collective, raised money for UNICEF to support those affected by the war in Gaza by making donations on Festive jumper day, led by a sixth former.
Click here to watch our Young Artists Collective Ukrainian photo project on YouTube
We have also donated gifts for refugee children living here in Exeter and worked with a local charity to furnish a house for an Afghan family who are escaping an area of conflict. These are real actions, taken by our pupils because they want to help and support these people, far and near, who are touched by the devastating impact of war and unrest. As we look optimistically to the possibility of sunshine, of hope for something better, this feels like just the right thing to do.
