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Stepping Out
Our Booth and Leaver House Chapel service was on the theme of ‘Stepping Out’ and we celebrated both students and staff who have shown their willingness to step out of their comfort zones and try new things.
In the lead up to the service, we invited students to anonymously reflect on ways they had shown courage and bravery over the past twelve months. Their reflections were moving and honest. Student involvement in a range of ways is valued in our House Chapel services — whether it be in our celebration montage, student responses, readings, prayers, music item or Captains sharing.
A huge thanks to all involved including our Heads of House, Mr Vandenberg (Booth) and Mrs Trovato (Leaver), who generously shared, our House Captains Acqua, Mitch, Fletcher and Rhylee as well as our musicians, Matilda and Kiarah. It was fantastic to see at least one of our leaders embracing the theme by speaking for the first time in assembly, only months before concluding their time at CGS.
An important part of the Chapel was launching the House banners for Booth and Leaver. Here is what the Captains shared about their designs.
“The Leaver banner contains many hand-cut fabric people — one for each student of Leaver 2024. At the end of last year, the current year 12s took their time and cut each of them out by hand. In the centre of our banner, every student signed their name to leave their own legacy.
Our banner represents the unity of our community as well as the way in which this banner was made. The Leaver leadership team took their time and worked together to put all this together.”
Mitch and Acqua
“When designing our banner, we wanted to incorporate and showcase the values that define Booth house as well as encompassing the Chapel’s theme. The little footprints surrounding the border were hand painted by every Boothian in the house. While the footsteps may seem surface level, they hold three significant and deeper meanings that resonate with each student in their own individual way.
The footprints fundamentally symbolise the act of stepping up for the house and stepping out of your comfort zone. Traditionally footprints represent connection and thus, every unique mark on the banner highlights each student’s impression on the house and the legacy they will leave due to their contributions. The placement of the footprints is significant as these students are building the foundation for future Booth students to follow.”
Fletcher and Rhylee
Our Bible reading of the incredible story of Jesus walking on the water and then inviting Peter to come out of the boat and onto the water is found in Matthew 14. It is Jesus’ voice that gives Peter the strength to go beyond what he thought possible. For many people of faith, prayer plays a fundamental role in their lives, particularly when they find themselves in a situation where they need to step beyond what is known.
May our students go through their lives being surprised at the ways in which stepping out in courage enriches their own lives and that of others.
Every blessing in the week ahead.
Monique Riviere-Pendle
Chaplain
