This week in our school community: 16 January 2026

We are all called to be leaven

 

Leavening Fund Project 25/26

Last year we were incredibly grateful to the Lasallian District of Ireland, GB and Malta for the grant of £2,000 to ensure our horticultural group had a polytunnel, benching and other essential equipment for the provision to take place all year round.  The ongoing effect of that grant and the work of Mrs Bradley, and the young people who take part, shines bright in our school.  The district offers money for projects in our Lasallian schools under the term ‘Leavening Project’ because of the deep meaning in the parable Jesus told:

The parable of the leaven is one of the shortest parables we find in the Gospels. It involves a simple recipe. In its literal form, it describes a recipe to make bread. In its metaphorical form, it alludes to some key characteristics of the recipe to bring about God’s Kingdom on earth. We are all called to be leaven. https://sites.google.com/lasallemedia.org/leavening-fund-microsite/home?authuser=1

This academic year, when the district announced they were offering funds for the leavening project once again, we applied for money to renovate our school Chapel so that it reflects our Lasallian identity more. There are two stages of designing and painting parts of our Chapel working alongside the assistant director of St Cassian’s, Sara, who is a hugely talented artist. Last term Sara visited our school and spent time meeting members of our Chaplaincy team and aspiring artists. They talked through ideas with infectious enthusiasm.

We plan to use the words of the Lasallian Call and Responses, which begin and end all our times of prayer in a Lasallian community, to create the first artwork either side of the altar. Those words are:

Let us remember that we are in the holy presence of God R./ And let us adore Him

Live Jesus in our hearts R./ Forever

The second artistic element of the project involves transforming the glossy magnolia shutter board doors that form the back wall of the Chapel into a dynamic storyboard of the life of St John Baptiste De La Salle. Our first task for this is to sand down all of those doors (which may explain why some of your children have come home this week talking about sanding at lunchtime!). Below are some pictures of this initial part of what we hope will be a fulfilling and impactful project that brings many more young people to prayer through the power of art.

Mr Robinson

Lay Chaplain