Chapel News: Charities Update, Prize Giving and Being a Rainbow in the Clouds
Thursday 3 July 2025
CHARITY NEWS
Through a range of activities, including a home clothes day, Ash K (12H), student lead for Prism, organised a very successful Pride Day which raised £392.75 for akt, a charity which supports homeless young people from the LGBTQ+ community.
ASSEMBLY
On Monday, Mrs Cameron awarded prizes for the following:
| Prize | Recipients |
|---|---|
| Gold Bars - Year 7 | Hermione R, Jova S-B, Nina D |
| Gold Bars - Year 8 | Ophelia PB, Polly D, Jeannie J, Elena P, Liv R, Milla S, Maya L |
| Gold Bars - Year 9 | Katherine A, Izzy P, Oluwani B, Izzy M, Maryam M, Rebekah W, Niyah N-N, Saskia G, Rachel F |
| Gold Bars - Year 10 | Sahi K, Evelyn N, Alice B, Chloe C, Tana S-B, Arabella M, Iheoma M, Amy S, Maddie B |
| Gold Bars - Year 12 | Eleanor J, Eliska B, Kirat G, Arabella L, Kate DLM |
| Goodbody Cup for the most improved singer | Eva B |
| Music Department Award for the most improved instrumentalist | Violet K |
| Lower School Singing Competition | Rachel F |
| Gordon Shergold Prize for Fencing | Bryony S |
| Certificates for Queenswood Quisine | Jessica C, Emily H, Amy H, Eva H, Maria M, Winnie Q, Beth T, Zoe U, Cornelia VH, Ash K, Amelie R, Eloise S, Millie S |
| The Queen’s College Translation Exchange for Participation in The Anthea Bell Prize for Young Translators | Yui K |
We then thanked the outgoing Chapel Stewards Team and welcomed the incoming Chapel Stewards Team with the presentation of badges.
Outgoing Chapel Stewards Team 2024/25
Senior Chapel Stewards
| Name | Year / House |
|---|---|
| Eva B | 9H |
| Rachel F | 9H |
| Rebekah W | 9N |
| Ore A | 9N |
Chapel Stewards
| Name | Year / House |
|---|---|
| Tintin AA | 8H |
| Emily L | 8W |
| Darrah D | 8H |
| India P | 8H |
| Alexia E | 8S |
| Ophelia PB | 8S |
| Arabella H | 8H |
| Liv R | 8H |
| Daisy H | 8H |
| Laura S | 8S |
| Eve H | 8H |
| Hilary T | 8H |
| Amarisa I | 8S |
| Susie W | 8H |
| Farah K-E | 8S |
Chaplain’s Assistant
| Nayia DC | 9N |
Incoming Chapel Stewards Team 2025/26
Senior Chapel Stewards
| Name | Year / House |
|---|---|
| Darrah D | 9H |
| Alexia E | 9S |
| Ophelia PB | 9S |
Chapel Stewards
| Name | Year / House |
|---|---|
| Alice A | 8N |
| Charlotte K | 8S |
| Carlotta C | 8S |
| Ella M | 8N |
| Lilia C | 8N |
| Martha M-D | 8H |
| Isa DARR | 8H |
| Lorelle O | 8N |
| Cocomi H | 8N |
| Jova S-B | 8N |
| Violet K | 8N |
| Heather W | 8N |
| Chloe K | 8S |
Chaplain’s Assistant
| Nayia DC | 10N |
At the conclusion of the presentations, Reverend Kate prayed:
Creator God,
We give thanks for all our prize winners this morning. We praise you for their gifts and ask for your continued blessing on their lives, that all they do may be for your purpose and your glory.
And we give thanks for all those who have served our community in the last year and pray for the new Chapel Stewards Team that in the giving of their time and resources, they may be both blessed and a blessing.
Amen.
ACT OF WORSHIP
On Wednesday, we sang our favourite hymn – Shine Jesus Shine – and then Eva B (9H) and Rachel F (9H) read from the Book of Jeremiah, chapter 18, verses 1-11.
Reverend Kate played the video of an advert and then said that inspired by, and using actual audio of the poet Maya Angelou, Virgin Atlantic’s latest advertising campaign is titled ‘Be a Rainbow in the Clouds’. According to its website, Virgin Atlantic’s campaign is a ‘vibrant celebration of travel as an opportunity to embrace the world, and all of our differences, with an open heart and an open mind’.
Reverend Kate said that in the advert, Maya Angelou says: ‘I’ve had so many rainbows in my clouds….the thing to do, it seems to me, is to prepare yourself so that you can be a rainbow in somebody else’s cloud’.
Not used in the advertising campaign, Reverend Kate told us that Maya Angelou also said that we should be a rainbow for ‘somebody who may not look like you [and] may not call God the same name you call God – if they call God at all’.
In inviting us to be a rainbow in somebody else’s cloud, Maya Angelou said that we should prepare ourselves to be a light and blessing to others. In our Bible reading this morning, Reverend Kate said that it is God who prepares us to be that light and blessing.
God said: ‘just like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand’.
This is a beautiful metaphor for God’s power over every aspect of our very being; we, the clay, are work in progress for God, the potter, who wants to form, reform and transform us.
Reverend Kate said that we may recognise the words of our Bible Reading in our school song. Not the easiest song to sing, Reverend Kate said that her favourite line is ‘potter and clay endure’, because after the challenges of the opening notation, this is generally the point when everyone seems to arrive together; it is as if these words are a safe place to land. Reverend Kate said that, indeed, these words are a safe place to land, for they remind us of our abiding relationship with God who, if we are willing, will change, shape and fashion us to be a rainbow in the clouds; to be a light and blessing to others.
Reverend Kate said that God is an inclusive God. The work of the ‘potter’ extends to every individual, community, and people of every nation, but it is work that succeeds only if we are open to God, surrender to God and trust in God.
In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus said: ‘You are the light of the world. …..let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven’ (Matthew 5:14-16). Reverend Kate said that such good deeds may be to choose kindness over pride, honesty over comfort, integrity over popularity and accountability over judgement.
Reverend Kate said that whatever we are doing this summer holiday – whether it involves travel or not – may we embrace the world and all of our differences with an open heart and an open mind. May we ask God to prepare us so that, when we come across someone with a cloud in their sky, our light will shine brightly through our good deeds, as one being transformed by God.
Reverend Kate closed by saying that until we are back in chapel in September, we are to remember that the world needs us to bless others with our light; the world needs us to be a rainbow in the clouds.
Reverend Kate prayed:
Creator God,
You are the one who sees and knows all things.
You are the one who loves for all time.
You are the one who forms, reforms and transforms.
So, we ask that you continue to work in, with and for us so that we may choose good deeds and be a light and blessing to others.
Amen.
Following our prayer, Reverend Kate thanked Mr Puranik for being a blessing and a light to us in Chapel through his playing of the piano and organ. We showed our appreciation for all Mr Puranik has done in the last two years’ by giving him a round of applause.
Reverend Kate then asked us to stand for God’s blessing:
May God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Who is the source of all goodness and growth,
Pour his blessing upon all things created,
And upon you his children, that you may use his gifts to his glory and the welfare of all peoples.
And the blessing of God Almighty,
The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit,
Remain with you and those you love and pray for,
Now and always. Amen.