‘All different, all equal’

This is our school motto.  Jesus treated everyone equally, no matter what their background and encouraged us to do the same (for example in the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10).  We believe that everyone is of equal worth to God and that our differences make us a richer community.  Paul reminded us in Galatians 3:28 that ‘in Christ there is neither Jew nor gentile, slave nor free, male nor female’.  Everyone at Saint George’s has equal opportunity to fulfil their potential and everyone has an equal right to respect.

Compassion

Jesus showed compassion for people over and over again.  People who were otherwise cast out, like lepers, were welcomed by him and cared for.  An example is the parable Jesus told of the Lost Son in Luke 15.  The father is said to be ‘filled with compassion’ when he saw his son return home.  This value reminds us that God identifies with human suffering through the life and death of Jesus and works to transform suffering in the Holy Spirit. From the beginnings of Christianity, Christians have helped others less fortunate. Paul organised a collection for the church in Jerusalem from across the known world. We should show compassion for others, no matter who they are.

Hope

Believing that there is a future and that things will get better is central to our Christian belief. Hope generates energy and sustains us through difficult times.  It means we never give up.  The supreme example of this is Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection.  Paul tells us in I Corinthians 13 that the most important Christian virtues are faith, hope and love. At school, this value of hope helps us to keep working when things are hard, in the belief that we can all fulfil our potential.

Respect (for the environment)

Believing that God created the world is key to the way we treat our environment.  God has given us a beautiful planet and we should care for it.  We can read the creation stories at the beginning of Genesis. We have an Eco Committee of students, who work to remind the whole school community that we should appreciate and care for the environment.

Service

Jesus said he came ‘not to be served, but to serve’ (Mark 10:45).  We believe we should do all we can to help others and should never think we are too important to serve.  Jesus washed the disciples’ feet in John 13 and so took the role of a servant.  There are lots of opportunities at school for the whole community to serve others, not least the work we do to raise money for charities and the way the older students help younger students.

Thankfulness

We have a lot to be thankful for and we constantly remind ourselves not to take things for granted.  Jesus often gave thanks to God and encouraged others to do likewise (eg the parable of the 10 lepers in Luke 17).  For Christians the greatest act of thanksgiving is the Eucharist (which means thanksgiving), where we remember God’s gift of Jesus.  At school we show gratitude to each other and to God.