What’s happened:
As the warm summer days begin to slowly drift away, La Lumiere is getting settled into its normal school routine. While the students have only been back for about a month, campus has proved to be busier than ever with the return of a somewhat pre-pandemic La Lumiere.
Due to the conditions that the COVID-19 pandemic presented last year, many of the traditional school events were canceled in an effort to reduce contact between students. This year, though, many of these events and activities have returned starting with orientation week.
Orientation week is a week-long event that kicks off the school year. Throughout the week, mini classes, sports practices, and bonding activities are held to get students not only more comfortable with their teachers and peers, but also to encourage their school up with various all-school events. Matt Marvin, director of student leadership and activities, attributes orientation week to playing a key role in the bonding of the student body.
“Orientation Week breaks down some of the walls that different people may have built up coming into the school year and allows students to immediately dive headfirst into the La Lumiere experience. Of course, it also builds a lot of school spirit,” said Marvin.
On the last night of the week, all the students gathered to participate in one final activity, which ended with a beautiful fireworks display right next to the lake.
Orientation week proved to be a great success and boosted the spirits of the student body heading into this new school year.
What’s coming up:
At the end of the month, La Lumiere will host its annual Parents Weekend Event, which invites the families of students to campus to celebrate the student body and their accomplishments here at La Lumiere.
During the weekend celebration, students will have the opportunity to show off their various activities with both sports games and drama performances being held. While all students are honored throughout the two-day event, it is the senior class who is truly given a spotlight.
At La Lumiere, there is a tradition known as the “Senior Bonfire” that the entire senior class participates in. Each of the seniors carries a torch through the woods and to the soccer field where they, together as a class, light a huge bonfire and celebrate the start of their senior year.
The event is not only a beautiful sight, but it also carries a deeper meaning. La Lumiere in French means “the light,” and the seniors lighting their torches and throwing them into the fire symbolizes this light as all the seniors come together into one great group for their final year at the school.
While this is only one of many traditions at La Lumiere, it is a favorite among both past and present students, and many are looking forward to the tradition this year.
Teacher spotlight: Matt Marvin
Matt Marvin, director of student leadership and activities, has been at La Lumiere for seven years now, though this year he is stepping into a new role. For most of his time at La Lumiere, Marvin has been organizing sports games as the athletic director, but this year he gets to connect with the students as the new organizer of student activities. As someone who is very interested in student bonding, Marvin is looking forward to making those relationships stronger through engaging students in various activities around the school campus.
“At La Lumiere, I love the family atmosphere and have always loved how everyone has your back in this community. That being said, I am most looking forward to building on this community aspect to gain more support for all the activities this year,” said Marvin. “I want to both encourage and support students at everything they do to even further that community aspect that is so important to who we are at La Lumiere.”
After seeing the school spirit that came out during orientation week, Marvin is very excited for the upcoming school year, and is especially eager to reconnect the student body through the different activities and sports events that are being put back on the calendar this year.
Student spotlight: Dana Mulco
Dana Mulco is a junior boarding student at La Lumiere this year and is – similar to most students – very excited to be back on campus again. Dana is from Moldova, which is a country located in Eastern Europe.
Though the last year has not been normal for her or the other students at La Lumiere, she is looking forward to this upcoming school year.
“I am very excited for the school year because the last few years have been very different because of the pandemic,” said Mulco. “I was both nervous and excited because I did not know what to expect coming back into school this year, but once I got here I was just excited to see everyone again.”
After coming here her freshman year, she has since fallen in love with the school and the community here, as back home her school was a much different environment.
“At my old school you were in a school with students between fifth and twelfth grade, so it was hard to make a connection with others around you,” said Mulco. “Here, everyone is super welcoming and you are able to get to know everyone, including your teachers.”
Although she is far from home, Dana is loving school here and the connections she is making with those around her.
“When you're in a community like this, people actually are trying to welcome me and help make this like a home for me,” said Mulco. “When this happens and you like your teachers and your classmates, you are going to school with an open heart.”
