What’s Happened
During the first quarter of the spring semester, the La Lumiere campus has been closed for boarding students, which means that they have not been able to return home. For seven straight weeks, they have lived in a bubble to try and prevent the spread of COVID-19.
This provided the student activities team with the challenge of finding ways to make the two months as fun as possible. The group was able to find many fun opportunities and activities in their search to fill up their schedule.
“In an attempt to find activities that are safe during the pandemic, we have learned about many new things to do with our students that we did not have the chance to do before,” said Director of Residential Life Michael Heffron.
In the past few weeks, boarding students have been presented with the opportunity to participate in numerous activities during the week and weekend. This included snow shoeing, snow tubing, a visit from a therapy dog, laser tag, and hiking.
“The activities have helped make our boarding program better than ever, even in such a difficult time. We hope to continue providing these activities even after the pandemic is over,” said Heffron.
While students are currently enjoying their spring break, there are also some fun activities planned for after they return. Activities such as axe throwing have created much excitement among the student body, and many are looking forward to the second quarter of the second semester.
What’s Coming Up
After a three month break, the La Lumiere drama department will be presenting the second act of their play, Bloody Murder, on April 7-9.
Bloody Murder, written by Ed Sala, is a murder mystery in which an esteemed heiress invites members from different classes of society to a weekend getaway, only for there to be a mysterious murder. Everyone is pitted against each other, and it quickly becomes a case of whodunnit.
The first act was presented in the fall, but due to the lack of time left after the performance, and the switch to hybrid learning, the play was postponed until after spring break. After spring break the drama department will resume rehearsals in preparation for their opening night in April.
Following the long hiatus, the drama department looks forward to coming back together and presenting the second act of their play to the community. Due to a cliffhanger at the end of act one, the students and staff are eager to find out what happened.
Student Spotlight
Dominic Cutrara is a senior at La Lumiere this year. Cutrara transferred just this fall, and has easily slipped right into place within the senior class. Cutrara decided to transfer to have the option for in-person learning. His old school had gone completely remote, but he wanted to have an in-person senior year. He also felt that one year of Catholic high school would provide a nice change of scenery after three years of public high school.
When asked about his favorite part of being a student at La Lumiere he very enthusiastically replied talking about his transition here.
“The students are obviously a great part of the school. You can fit in easily, and honestly the transition for me was very welcoming which made it much easier to feel more comfortable here. The teaching staff is also super accessible and willing to help which is much different than a typical public school so that is something I really like about being here,” said Cutrara.
Cutrara is a boarding student and as such has been able to widely participate in the after school activities and events for borders. He discussed how the closeness of dorm life has also helped to make this year positive and uplifting.
“You have your friends around you 24/7 instead of just eight hours a day at school. You get to develop a tight bond with these people who you know are going to have a major impact on your life. Also, you get some independence to do your own thing without your parents breathing down your neck, and that has helped prepare me for my future in college and even after I graduate,” said Cutrara.
Teacher Spotlight
Chad Perney, Director of Student Leadership and Activities, has experienced both sides of the La Lumiere School. Perney was a student at La Lumiere School before graduating in 2008. He is grateful to have been a student at the school, saying that it has shaped him to be a better teacher.
“As a student you feel like teachers are against you, but now as a teacher, I know that they are really just trying to help kids. I think this helped to build better relationships with students so that I can help them to become the best version of themselves possible,” said Perney.
Having been on campus for so long this year has definitely been different, but for Perney it has been strange to adapt to be able to contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
“My favorite part of La Lumiere is the relationships we have with each other. Not having the closeness at a scale we are usually able to have has been difficult, especially for me whose job is built on the relationships formed with the student body. We have still done a great job forming these relationships while being safe and following our protocols to prevent the spread of any illness,” said Perney.