Beauty Creating

This morning at our weekly chapel, the throughline Beauty Creating was introduced. We were reminded that we can see God's beauty in all areas: math, art, language, nature, science, gym. 

Everywhere we look, we can see God's beauty. 

We can also create beauty with the gifts God has given us.

All things bright and beautiful

All creatures great and small

All things wise and wonderful

The Lord God made them all!

We were then given the task to create one beautiful mural together as a school body.

 Each class was given one piece of the mural of Van Gogh's Starry Night. Each student from JK-Grade 8 will each colour a part of the mural. 

 

When it is complete, it will be pieced together to create a beautiful replication.

Each little flower that opens

Each little bird that sings

He made their glowing colours

He made their tiny wings

There is beauty in art and there is beauty in working together as community of students from JK-8.

Follow us this month as we learn more about Beauty Creating.

The purple headed mountain

The river running by

The sunset and the morning

That brightens up the sky

He gave us eyes to see them and lips that we might tell

How great is God Almighty who has

made all things well

Where will you see God's beauty today?

Pot's Ponderings - January 8, 2013

Have you made any resolutions for 2013?  Resolutions abound for many of us each January – even if we do not express them out loud. A new year allows us an opportunity to reflect, re-evaluate, and resolve how to live in the coming year. You could call them the New Years’ 3 R’s.  Every January many of us resolve to eat less, exercise at least three times per week, pay down debt, spend less, read more books, be more faithful in family devotions, plan that awesome family vacation, play more, spend more time with family, worry less, lose ten pounds, read the Bible daily, spend less time on Facebook, volunteer in the community, pray more, get organized, learn something new, take more walks, be more thankful, laugh more, be more compassionate, eat more vegetables, etc., etc. It is interesting that most resolutions involve doing some things less and other things more. Resolutions, in and of themselves, can be very helpful - as they can focus our actions towards positive choices. But many find following through with resolutions for twelve months difficult, if not impossible.

As many of you, I have often been disappointed in the results of my noble resolutions. We can become discouraged when we do not live up to our own lofty goals or plans for the coming year. Sometimes circumstances outside of our control can make our plans out of reach or impossible or even irrelevant.

The famous comedy writer, Woody Allen, is credited with saying, “if you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.” I appreciate that type of humour and humility – not to mention the theology behind it.

As individuals, family members, and even as a school community, may we “seek first His kingdom and his righteousness” (Matt. 6:33). May we commit all of our plans to the Lord and His kingdom, be open to His leading, and we will be surprised where He takes us if we faithfully follow. 

Hallelujah! Celebrating The Messiah

This week, our students shared a performance of Handel's Messiah. 

Here are some snippets of the evening. 

Kindergarten sings "He Came Down"

The Blind Will See

Glory to God

Come Unto Him

 Luke and the Shepherds

Dance Around the Manger

Hallelujah!

We wish all of you the peace of Christ as you celebrate Love come down. 

Servant Workers

This morning we gathered again for our weekly chapel. This month we are focusing on servant working: being the hands and feet of Jesus. 

First, we were reminded to be more than a bobble-head. Bobble-headed people are those who agree with all the wonderful ideas of servant work that need to be done, but there is no follow up action. We are servant working and that requires action!

The grade 8 class presented a skit on what superheroes might be like 

if everyone became active servant workers.

Those poor, unemployed superheroes! (Wouldn't that be wonderful?)

Grade 2 shared their art display on servant working. Each student painted a picture of themselves and attached ways that our bodies can be the hands and feet of Jesus. Each student shared one of the sentences s/he wrote about servant working:

My knees are servant working when I kneel in prayer for someone else.

My hands are servant working when I set the table without being asked.

My voice is servant working when I sing at Shalom Manor to the seniors.
.

My feet are servant working when I carry out the trash.  

We then reflected on some of the ways Beacon students have been servant workers, 

especially in the past month.

We then met in our gift groups in various places around the school and created prayer lists for things to pray for in the coming weeks and how we can continue to be servant workers and prayer warriors. 

Servant Working through Acts of Kindness

Our weekly chapel focused on Servant Working through Acts Of Kindness. 

At the beginning of chapel, we were reminded God's story, of which we are a part, in this video:

The Grade 4's presented the story of "Papa Panov" which further explored this theme:

Professor Squinch sent us another video:

We were then challenged as classes to find opportunities to serve others in small and larger acts of kindness for the next week and beyond. What can you find to do to bless someone in an Act of Kindness?

Here are a few ideas for you to join us at home and out in our community in random acts. 

How Did Litterless Lunch Day Go?

You must be wondering how Litterless Lunch Day went here at Beacon last week!

Check out the video that Grade Two made to share the news!

Anne Frank: A History Trip for Gr. 8

On Friday November 30^th, the grade eights went to Temple Anshe Sholom in Hamilton.

A travelling exhibit — from the Anne Frank Centre in New York City — came called Anne Frank: A History for Today gave the students a glimpse into Anne Frank’s life during the Holocaust.

Alongside was a second collection Art and Propaganda in Nazi-Occupied Holland where visitors saw original posters and paintings by Dutch artist Henri Pieck that were distributed by the Nazi-controlled Dutch government during the war.

Madeleine Levy, co-chair of the Hamilton Jewish Federation’s Holocaust education committee, said “Everyone has to look at history in order to fundamentally capture who they want to be today, and what kind of a community we want to have today,”

Afterward we were invited to come into the sanctuary. Our guides showed us where the rabbi spoke and the cantor chanted. They showed us the ark where the special Torahs were kept. Mr. VandenBurg wore a prayer shawl. We tried to read their song book and discovered that the book was read in reverse then what we were use to. We experienced hospitality from beginning to end and felt that we now had some special Jewish friends.