This morning, we held our first chapel service of the new school year. Each class strolled in quietly, sat in a designated spot and listened to Mr. Bailey as he gently played his guitar. When all the elementary classes arrived, Mrs. Vant Erve welcomed everyone and reviewed some behaviour expectations. Mrs. Saballa then led the singing of O Canada and the recitation of the Lord’s Prayer. This was followed by listening to the Land Acknowledgement. Mrs. Saballa and Ms. Wong then began our musical worship with the singing of “Here for You” – a song about surrendering to and welcoming God’s presence.
Next, Mrs. Vant Erve, dressed in a Wesley Wildfire Jersey, bandana and workout shorts, ran to the front with great energy and athleticism and introduced this year’s theme – CROSS Fit: Training to be like Jesus!
After she shared this year’s theme verse from 1 Timothy 4:12, she presented the following five ways how we can train to be like Jesus.
- FOCUS – Jesus helps us focus on what matters most
- RESPECT – Jesus shows us how to treat others with kindness
- HUMILITY – Jesus teaches us to put others first
- ENDURANCE – Jesus gives us strength to keep going
- LEADERSHIP – Jesus shows us how to lead others
Then, several representatives from the Grade 4 classes announced this month’s Care & Share event. Starting on Monday, September 21st, until Wednesday, September 23rd, students can bring in non-perishable items for the food bank at the 105 Gibson Centre. Each class, from Toddler to Grade 8, will be challenged to bring at least 105 items. Those who participate can wear casual attire on Wednesday, September 23rd.
After the announcement, Mrs. Saballa and Ms. Wong led the audience in singing “Every Move I Make” with lots of actions.
Mrs. Vant Erve then invited students that participate in different sports (e.g. baseball, tennis, dance, basketball, soccer, etc.) to come up to the stage. She asked them how they get better at their chosen sport. Some talked about practicing while others mentioned effort – trying their best. Mrs. V shared the following three ways that she tries to improve at her sport – horseback riding:
- Learn more about your sport
- Train for and practice your sport
- Use the advice and feedback from your coach
She explained that those steps can also be used to help us train to be more like Jesus because we can read the Bible to know what God’s Word says, practice obeying God’s Word in our lives, and following Jesus’s example of how to live out our faith.
Mrs. V then concluded by sharing a related passage that she read in her devotions earlier this week, asking the students to read the benediction and praying for the students. In her prayer, she asked God to take this “big idea” of CROSS-Fit training to be more like Jesus and help each one of us grow in our relationship with Christ this year. Students were then quietly dismissed to start their academic day.