On Tuesday 2 April, a small number of staff and ASC Representatives joined together in a Breaking of the Ground ceremony to mark the first official day of construction for our new Early Years Centre and Administration Building at our Halls Head Campus. 

The Ceremony was led by Canon James Tabor, School Chaplain, and in attendance was Tracey Gray, Principal, Judy Sparkes, Chair of Council, Trent Costelow, Business Manager, Lynne Thomson, ASC Chair of the Board, Franzl Shannon, ASC Director of Capital Projects, and Joseph Pascuzzi, ASC Chief Financial Officer. 

The Service included the Bible reading: 1 Corinthians 3:10 –17

According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building on it. Each builder must choose with care how to build on it. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ.

The Sermon led by the Chaplain:

To the glory of God, in the presence of this congregation,
I now direct that ground be broken
for the FIAS Administration Building.
The responsibility and the privilege rests upon us
to cause a building to rise here
that shall be a beacon for this people of God,
a place devoted to education and learning of God’s children,
and the worship of almighty God
and to the glory of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

As each one of those in attendance turned a spadeful of earth, the Chaplain said one of the following sentences:

That a School may meet here
where children shall learn to love God
and grow in grace and goodness,
and in favour with God and all people,
we break this ground today.

That a School may meet here
where youth shall be inspired to pray and serve,
That a School may meet here

where the weary and heavy laden shall find inner peace
that the world can neither give nor take away, 

That a School may meet here
where God is worshiped in prayer and praise,
where the Word of God shall be so read and preached
that it shall become the living Word,
and the Sacraments so celebrated
that all life shall become sacramental, 

That a School may meet here
where multitudes shall be refreshed in spirit, relieved from pain,
released from bondage, and redeemed from sin,

That a School may meet here
where the grace of God may make our human lives into a Christ-like love
and our homes places of living witness
for that realm where Christ is Lord, 

That a School may meet here
from which, by the power of your Holy Spirit,
your people are sent forth into this community and all the world
as champions of justice and peace to all peoples