Thought For The Day – Friday 24th October 2025
Thank you Mrs. Parr
Today is World United Nations Day.
2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the United Nations, founded to maintain peace and security and promote international cooperation.
Today, the United Nations, is more important than ever. The flag of the United Nations is pictured above.
The United Nations protects the rights of everyone.
By coincidence, today also marks the fiftieth anniversary of the “Women’s Day Off”, when, in Iceland, 90% of Icelandic women went on strike, ceasing all paid, and all unpaid household, duties and labour or work. This was a protest against sex and gender inequality. It would pave the way for sex and gender equality in the country.
The global theme of “United Nations Day” this year is: “Education shapes the future”.
At The Bishop’s Stortford High School today we pay great tribute to Mrs. Jane Parr, who has helped lead visits to the headquarters of the United Nations in New York, on the occasion of her retirement.
Mrs. Parr has devoted a remarkable twenty-eight years of her life to teaching, shaping the future through education, to link with the U.N. theme of today.
Even more extraordinary, over sixteen years of Mrs. Parr’s career has been committed to the “Black and Gold” of The Bishop’s Stortford High School.
In this time, Mrs. Parr has played a vital role in the Department of Business Studies and Economics at the School.
There were two wonderful speeches in the staff meeting yesterday.
The first, a fine speech by Head of Business Studies and Economics, Miss. Todd, was an absolutely brilliant poem, superbly delivered, that paid tribute to Mrs. Parr’s wonderful character and caring contribution.
The second was a characteristically giving, good-humoured, humble, warm and wise thank you from Mrs. Parr. In her speech, Mrs. Parr paid tribute to a unique School, saying, in her experience, that was no school like T.B.S.H.S., thanking her colleagues, in the department, past and present, and beyond.
Business Studies and Economics, over the years, has been absolutely key to the School. As T.B.S.H.S. grew over the years, so did Business Studies and Economics. It was certainly no coincidence. The one flourished with the other. This area of study, and practice, has such a central place in the history of T.B.S.H.S., just as it does in society and in the world.
Ever-ebullient, enthusiastic, encouraging, and empowering, Mrs. Parr, whose son achieved fine A-Level results at T.B.S.H.S., has been a “Black and Gold legend”.
Mrs. Parr passionately helped, and cheered, everyone she met, always seeing, and being, the good and the very best.
“No one left behind” was a phrase used about education in the U.K. It still is a very important phrase, attitude, and practice. As it is in life too.
Mrs. Parr left no one behind.
Though such words cannot fully capture such a fabulous contribution, we express our great appreciation today, and always, to Mrs Parr.
We wish you all a happy, healthy, and safe half-term, when it arrives. Make good decisions. Reflect on, and respect, the past, the present, and the future. Look after others and look after yourself. Finish the half-term well today.
