Newsletter
11 October 2024
Message from the Head of Primary
Dear Parents and Caregivers,
In honour of Mental Health Day (10 October), I’d like to remind everyone, especially our hardworking teachers, parents, and caregivers, of the importance of looking after ourselves. As educators to our children, we pour so much into them, and it’s essential that we also take time to recharge and care for our mental and physical health.
Prioritising self-care allows us to show up as our best selves, ready to guide and support our children in their learning journey. We encourage parents and caregivers to support our teachers in the school's efforts by fostering a positive and understanding environment. Together, we can nurture a healthy community where everyone thrives.
Upcoming School Production
Additionally, we’d like to remind you of the upcoming school production, which includes Grade R - 6 classes. Preparations are underway, and we’re excited to see the students’ talents on full display. Find out how to book your family tickets under 'Primary News' below. More details about costumes, schedules, and any updates related to the production will be communicated to you by your teacher.
Please check the Grade 3 and Grade 6 pages to see what your children have been learning and experiencing over the last few weeks.
Thank you for your ongoing support and commitment to our school. We look forward to continuing to work together to provide the best for our children.
Wishing you all a restful and enjoyable weekend!
The Lighthouse Team
Hannes van der Westhuysen
Head of Primary
Primary News
Lighthouse Achieves Excellence Award at Alliance Française
Last Saturday, Saisha Bundhoo in Grade 6 Yellow, received a prize at Alliance Francaise for her outstanding performance in comprehension, vocabulary, and grammar exercises. She achieved a "mention très bien" in her exams and also earned the ‘Excellence Prize’. Her hard work, positive attitude, and resilience have truly paid off. We are very proud of her and encourage her to continue striving for success, as the sky's the limit. Bravo, Saisha!
Annual Production - The Journey
It is with much excitement that we invite you to attend our Annual Production, titled The Journey, taking place on Friday, 25 October. This year, we ask that you first indicate how many tickets you and your family would like, before we distribute the physical tickets to you. This will hopefully streamline the process and save time.
Based on the venue capacity, each family has been awarded 3 tickets for the evening production, and 2 tickets for the morning production. You are welcome to attend both the morning and the evening production, to ensure as many family members as possible can enjoy the show! However, you can of course, also opt to only attend one of the shows.
CLICK HERE to book your ticket! Bookings strictly close on Friday, 18 October - don’t miss out! Once you've completed the form, we will prepare your physical tickets and distribute them, via your eldest child, on Tuesday, 22 October.
Much like last year, there is no admission fee for the production, but donations are welcomed on the night to help support the event and recognise the efforts of our teachers and students.
For more information, please email Ms Flo at florence.thomas@lighthouse.edu.mu. If you’d like to volunteer your time or skills in preparation for the production, please complete this form. We look forward to sharing The Journey with you!
Important Reminder: Friday, 25 October, will be a half-day for the Primary School, with dismissal at 12:40. Children must return to school at 17.00 sharp to dress up for an 18.00 sharp start. Thank you for making the necessary arrangements
Cycling Around Mauritius: The 17-Hour Family Adventure
Last weekend, Lighthouse Outdoor Education Coordinator Mr Abe Ankers and his Grade 6 son, Elijah, embarked on an impromptu and courageous cycling adventure around the island. What began as a light-hearted remark at the dinner table—"I wonder if you could cycle around Mauritius in a day"—quickly turned into a serious plan when Elijah eagerly asked, "Why not?". Seizing the opportunity, the family took advantage of the Lighthouse holiday on Friday.
After some more thinking and planning, they set off in the early hours of Friday morning, following the Coastal Road wherever possible. Their goal: to complete the circuit around the island before nightfall. The Ankers family (especially the men in the family) are known for their adventurous spirit and resilience, and so it was no surprise to family and friends when they returned home just after 19:00, unharmed and beaming with large smiles—and even bigger stories to share! They covered an impressive 215.08 kilometres in 17 hours, 10 minutes.
We asked Elijah (11 years) to share his experience with us:
'Once we left the house at 02:00, we cycled along the Coastal Road to Port Louis. When we were cycling through Port Louis, we saw so many big city rats, and as we rode past them they would all curry away into the drainage pipes. We arrived at Le Morne by 07:00, which was what we were trying to do. My Dad and I stopped for breakfast in Souillac and continued to the Airport and then up the East Coast to Trou d'Eau Douce. We stopped for lunch in Trou d'Eau Douce and then we continued to Goodlands and then home.'
Well done, Mr Abe and Elijah—your brave and positive approach to life inspires the entire Lighthouse community!
Standing Order for School Fees – Academic Year 2025
Our Standing orders for the academic year 2025 are out. As per our payment policy, school fees are due on the 1st of each month. To help ensure timely payments, we have handed out students standing order forms this week via class teachers.
Please complete and return the form to your child's class teacher by Wednesday, 16 October 2024. Alternatively, you can set up a standing order through your internet banking. If you choose this option, please enclose proof of the setup in the provided envelope and return it to the homeroom teacher by the same deadline. For further questions, you can contact Ms Jacqueline at jacqueline.tse@lighthouse.edu.mu.
Annual Surveys
Every year at this time, Lighthouse asks parents and guardians to give their honest feedback on how Lighthouse is doing in carrying out its mission and purpose. Your anonymous feedback helps us measure our progress each year and helps us gauge how we are doing at meeting our goals.
We ask that you please take 10–15 minutes to fill out our parent and student survey:
- Parent survey
- Student survey - we ask you to please take a moment and help your child to answer these questions.
This is the most important survey we do, and your input will help guide our goals for the coming year - every voice matters! The surveys will close on Monday morning, 21 October, so we advise you to please complete this as soon as possible.
School Photo Queries
Those parents who ordered digital school photographs can look forward to receiving the photographs via email on Monday, 14 October. If you have any questions or concerns about your photo order, please contact the VIP team directly at 591 867 96 or via email at office.vipservice@gmail.com.
Morning Worship, 18 October
Parents and Caregivers: please feel free to join us at our next praise and worship meeting. As a staff, we would love to expand our worship sessions as we honour and adore God together through music. Please join us at 7:20am next Friday, October 18, for a collective praise and worship morning. No RSVP necessary. If you wish to join, please make use of our staff parking area beyond the designated "Vans only" demarcation and we look forward to seeing you in the Pavilion next Friday!
Women's Coffee Connection
Are you keen on connecting with other women on issues such as parenting, finances and marriage? Then be sure to join our weekly Women's Coffee Connection at Lighthouse. Dates: 18 & 25 October. 08:00 - 09:15, Lighthouse Library. Delicious treats and coffee/tea will be served. To RSVP, please complete this quick form! All are welcome.
End of Month Holiday
An early reminder that there will be no school on October 31 in honour of Divali, and as Arrival of Indentured Servants is on November 2, the school will also be closed on Friday, November 1.
2025 Calendar Change
Please note that there has been a slight update to the 2025 school calendar. The public holiday, Ganesh Chaturthi will in fact be on Thursday 28 August, and not on Wednesday 27 August, as previously included. Click here to view and save the updated 2025 calendar.
School Menu
Wondering what’s for lunch in October? Click here to view the menu.
Key Lighthouse Documents
A reminder that we have a few key documents to help guide you around school operations:
Dates to Remember
Oct 15, 17, 18, 24 - No Sports & Clubs
Oct 18 - Women's Coffee Connection, 08:00
Oct 25 - Women's Coffee Connection, 08:00
Oct 25 - Production - School finishes at 12:40
Oct 30 - Cycle 2 Reports
Oct 31 - Nov 2 - School break
Nov 4 - Cycle 3 starts
Nov 13 - Student Led Conferences, afternoon only
Nov 14 - Sports & Clubs end
Nov 15 - Student Led Conference. Whole day, no school
Nov 20 - Grade R & 6 Graduations
Nov 22 - Prize giving assembly
Nov 22 - School picnic
Nov 28 - School closes. Term Report
Birthdays
Students:
Whitfield, Zoey Oct 11
Chineah, Ava Oct 12
Appadoo, Vyan Oct 13
Busgeeth, Shaurya Oct 13
Domah, Teeya Oct 13
Neeley, Isaac Oct 13
Law Wai, Dylan Oct 14
Pather, Chloe Oct 14
Burnett, Ben Oct 15
Craven, Delta Oct 15
Bundhoo, Leeneshav Oct 16
Chenchoogadoo, Kyara Oct 16
Douce, Kaityln Oct 16
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