The day Thou gavest,Lord

A family member, in the USA, shared on Facebook that a local school had stopped pupils from holding a prayer meeting before morning lessons because of the objection of the parent of one of the pupils.  No one was obliged to join in.  I understand that the School Board have now reversed that decision.  Common sense has prevailed.
This brought me to reflect on my own school days (1941-51) when the whole school would gather in the hall for morning prayers before lessons and then gathered again at the end of the afternoon for a prayer and a hymn.
In one school I attended the last hymn of the day was always the same - it was sung in a quiet, gentle way after which we filed out in silence.  This is the hymn I so fondly remember.

The day Thou gavest, Lord, is ended,
the darkness falls at Thy behest;
to Thee our morning hymns ascended,
Thy praise shall sanctify our rest.

We thank Thee that Thy Church unsleeping,
while earth rolls onward into light,
through all the world her watch is keeping,
and rests not now by day or night.

As o'er each continent and island
the dawn leads on another day,
the voice of prayer is never silent,
nor dies the strain of praise away.

The sun, that bids us rest, is waking
our brethren 'neath the western sky,
and hour by hour fresh lips are making
Thy wondrous doings heard on high.

So be it, Lord: Thy throne shall never,
like earth's proud empires, pass away;
Thy kingdom stands, and grows for ever,
till all Thy creatures own Thy sway.

                                                             John Ellerton (1826-93)