The “proud baby” meme: one of my favourites!
Pride is a tricky concept. In Christianity, Pride is one of the seven deadly sins, thought by many to be the original and most serious of all. It is characterised as the excessive admiration of the personal image or self; in other words, thinking that you’re better than everybody else, or better than you actually are. Pride underpins the tragic flaw of hubris in many dramatic heroes. Pride comes before a fall, the saying goes; it is something to be avoided, something to be ashamed of.
More recently, though, the term has shifted in its meaning. Pride is no longer something to be ashamed of; instead, it has gathered positive connotations. The Pride festivals which celebrate the LGBTQ+ community are fantastic demonstrations of societies which are inclusive and accepting of diversity. Feeling proud of what you’ve achieved is no longer something to be ashamed of – provided we stay grounded and humble, we should be proud of ourselves. It seems that the idea of “Pride” more generally has been reclaimed from its negative associations to be more positive – a feeling of rightful satisfaction at a job well done.
Gareth Southgate
Like many of you, I felt really proud of the England team at Russia 2018. The last time an England men’s football team reached the semi-final of a World Cup, I was at secondary school myself, in Year 10. I hope our current Year 10s don’t have to wait as long as I have for this to happen again! It’s been a long time since a national men’s football side has been so successful (although the women’s team finished third in the 2015 World Cup!), and Gareth Southgate’s words after the extra-time defeat to Croatia really resonated with me:
“I’m remarkably proud of a group of players who have really advanced, and no one could have given any more. The way they’ve represented their country has been exemplary. I couldn’t be prouder of what they’ve done.”
I think it was the combination of rightful pride with genuine humility that got me. Southgate’s words resonated because he articulated the way that I feel about the students at Churchill. I’m so proud of the progress they’ve made this year, the progress that we’ve made at the Academy. I’m proud of those students that have put their all into their studies, their school work, and the wider activities that make up school life. I’m proud of the way they represent the Academy, acting as ambassadors for Churchill in their time here and when they are out on trips, visits and activities. I couldn’t be prouder of what they’ve done.
In my assembly I shared some of the proud moments from the year. I cannot possibly capture all of them, but just a few of them are pictured below.
Churchill is a school full of children with boundless promise and potential. They have a expert, dedicated and caring staff team around them, backed by a supportive community of family and friends. The young people in those pictures – and the hundreds beyond them! – are grasping the opportunities in front of them with both hands, and growing in knowledge, skills, character and confidence every day. What the pictures capture for me is a happy school. Looking back at the year gone by, I think I have every right to feel unashamedly proud of what we’ve done this year – and, at the same time, excited to think that next year will be even better.
I wish you all a restful summer holiday. See you in September!
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