The Lighthouse Learning Center celebrated its 28th anniversary commencement exercises on June 4th in Talisay’s South Town Center. The moving up ceremony took place from 1 to 3pm followed by the graduation ceremony from 3 to 5pm.

 

The moving up ceremony featured the 46 children who have attended our nursery, Junior prep and SPED classes during the last ten months. The graduation ceremony that followed featured our 15 graduates from our Satellite school in Naga and 29 graduates from our main school in Bulacao, Cebu city.

 

Both events were held on the third floor of the South Town Center and an estimated 100 people, comprising parents, family members and LLC trustees and friends attended each event. The lovely decorations were done by Fatima Susas who herself is an LLC graduate from the class of 1998.

 

The ceremonies were enjoyed by all but for the teachers it was bitter-sweet as they would be saying good-bye to some of their pupils and in the case of the graduates, all of them would be leaving. 

 

I (Richard) asked the teachers the following day what particular moments during the ceremonies had left a mark and this is what they said:

 

Teacher Neressa………… “ I thought Ara Chanel my JP1 pupil had left without saying goodbye but then I saw her and her mother come back into the venue. They came up to me and Ara said ‘ Thank you for teaching me, Teacher Essa’. I was very touched”.

 

Teacher Malyn………….” As I led my pupils in the rendition of the invocation at the start of the graduation ceremony, I was filled with emotion. I had children who could not write even their names at the start of the school year. Today, the parents of Khian and Dheniel come up to me and tell me that their two boys can now read simple words and write the letters of the alphabet nicely. Audrey and Kaitlin, two others in my class tell me they want to be a teacher like me one day”

 

Teacher Mae…………. “ I am touched by the deep appreciation expressed to me by parents saying how much improvement they have seen in their children. The mother of Yohan tells me that he is no longer needing a diaper, his attention span is much longer and he has shown remarkable improvement.”

 

Teacher April………….” I feel like an older sister to my pupils and I am so sad to say goodbye to my Senior prep pupils. Caleb, a very active boy broke his leg earlier in the year and came to classes with a cast on his leg. He and his Mum left the venue at one point yesterday and came back with a Goldilocks cake to present to me. Caleb said ‘Thank you, Teacher April’. 

 

Teacher Queenie………..” I started teaching my Nursery 2 pupils at the end of the first quarter and  one of the children, Zane had speech delay. His mother came up to me during the ceremony to say how happy she was that Zane had received a medal for ‘most improved’. Zane then said ‘ Teacher, thank you."

 

and last but not least, Mary Blanche, our school administrator who said …….” I am so proud of our teachers and their accomplishments with the children this year." 

 

The moving-up and graduation ceremonies had many highlights and touching moments so to give  you, the readers, an appreciation of these, we invite you to view our photo gallery.

 

Richard Foster

June, 2024