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Message from the
               Head of School





                                   “We cannot choose what happens to us,
                                                   but we can choose how we react to it.”


               There  has  never  in  recent    but we can achieve it if we     ready to act and accomplish.
               memory been a better time        maintain an unshakeable belief   QMS is poised for even greater
               to consider the concept of       in our ability to do so. As a   success in the months and years
               ‘resilience.’ No one living      friend of mine used to say, “It’s a   ahead and I am very confident
               today has ever encountered       little like wrestling with a gorilla,   that we will achieve it. Of
               something that has been so       you don’t quit when you’re      course, as  we  approach  our
               truly universal in its impact;   tired, you quit when the gorilla   100th  birthday,  we  will  pause
               every person in every country    is tired!”                      many times to reflect on the
               on Earth has been affected by       Though there has been sadness   courage and commitment of our
               the pandemic. COVID-19 has       and tragedy in recent months,   Founders. We can be absolutely
               sorely tested all of us in a huge   there  has  also  been  amazing   certain that they faced adversity
               variety of ways and yet the      stories of heroism, creativity,   and challenges many times as
               adversity has not been all bad.   humour and commitment. As a    they developed our School.
               It has caused us all to draw on   race, we are at our best when   That we are here and about
               those qualities and features     we are tested and we are called   to  mark  QMS’    milestone
               which go to make up the notion   upon to help each other. From   birthday speaks volumes about
               of resilience. In so doing, many   the  devotion  and  courage  of   their resilience. The school
               of us have been reminded of      our front-line workers to the   of today can pay no greater
               the saying, “We cannot choose    selfless acts of kindness of so   tribute to Miss Denny and Miss
               what happens to us, but we can   many, we have been uplifted     Geoghegan than to emulate
               choose how we react to it.” In   and  inspired. We opened  up    their approach to that quality
               those reactions lies opportunity   our hearts and now we can     of resilience. Our mandate is
               and I am so impressed by         look forward to opening up our   surely to set the School up for
               the  way  the  QMS  community    societies once more. And as we   a superb second century and,
               responded to the challenges      negotiate all of the challenges   come what may, we will.
               of the past months, figuring out   that will be with us for the
               the possibilities and embracing   foreseeable future, we must    Thank you,
               them.                            surely have confidence that we
                  We have collectively shown    can keep fear in its place. To
               courage and perseverance. We     some extent, it’s inevitable that
               have overcome disappointment     we  live  with  fear,  but  we  must
               and rejected complaining. We     always try to avoid living in fear.   David Robertson
               have retained a cheerfulness,    There is a big difference.      Head of School
               modelled optimism and shown         As a relative newcomer to this
               a  willingness  to  adapt.  All   school community, I have been
               of these attributes define       struck by the strong connections
               resilience and, at the end of    that have been formed and
               the day, we will bounce  back    I am extremely motivated to
               stronger  than  we  were before   help us become the absolute
               this period in time. That’s the   best version of ourselves while
               opportunity that we’ve been      taking the opportunities that
               given, the possibility of turning   are presenting themselves. No
               a bad situation into a good one.   organization is ever truly static;
               It does require determination,   it’s a living breathing entity,


                                                                                                  CONNECTIONS 3
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