Queen Margaret’s School Junior Chapel
Story appeared in the 2015 issue of QMS Connections Magazine.
BY LEANNE SCHULTZ, OPERATIONS & HR MANAGER, AND INFORMATION FROM DEAN SCHNEIDER
Every Wednesday, Junior French Teacher Dean Schneider steps into his role as the Junior School Chaplain at Queen Margaret’s School and greets the school’s Kindergarten to Grade 7 students as they attend their weekly chapel service.
Held in the beautiful log building built in 1934, chapel service is one of the most important traditions of the school and provides a spiritual centre for students, faculty and staff.
Weaving lessons and parables from the world’s religions, Mr. Schneider discusses aspects of moral, character and spiritual development that reflect the school’s socio-emotional programming. Topics such as sharing, forgiveness, helping others, believing in yourself, and so on, are chosen to reinforce the importance of living the values of the school. Diversity, intellectual curiosity, and integrity are emphasized through the basic belief that we should all follow the Golden Rule as prescribed by almost every world religion.
Over the last few years, Mr. Schneider has seen students become more and more involved with chapel programming. With the Grade 7 and Grade 8 Boys classes leading the way, students as young as Grade 2 have asked to be able to prepare and deliver stories to their schoolmates. Choosing an appropriate story, identifying a life lesson and strategizing how best to communicate it, and public speaking have become another opportunity for leadership within QMS. With Mr. Schneider’s guidance, one-third of this year’s chapel services were led by students. According to Mrs. Susan Cruikshank, Junior School Principal, “When students take the lead and act as role models for their peers, it has a significant positive impact on their outlook toward school.”
The Golden Rule X6
The ethic of reciprocity, or the Golden Rule, can be found in every culture in the world, and almost every religion teaches some form of this basic tenant of integrity. At QMS, the idea that we should treat others as we would like to be treated ourselves is fundamental, not only in Chapel, but in our day-to-day interactions.
Whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them. Christianity.
MATTHEW 7.12
Not one of you is a believer until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself. Islam.
Forty Hadith of an-Nawawi 13
Try your best to treat others as you would wish to be treated yourself, and you will find that this is the shortest way to benevolence.
Confucianism. Mencius VII A 4
One should not behave towards others in a way which is disagreeable to oneself. This is the essence of morality. All other activities are due to selfish desire.
Hinduism. Mahabharata, Anusasana Parva 113.8
You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Judaism and Christianity.
Leviticus 19.18
For a state that is not pleasant or delightful to me must also be to him also; and a state that is not pleasing or delightful to me, how could I inflict that upon another?
Buddhism. Samyutta Nikaya v.353