Denise Dent, Director of Education, shares this update on the previous school year, and what to expect in 2022-2023!

Wow! Lots of things have changed in the School of Light in the past year, starting with our name. Because of the school’s growth, we are now required to be known as an education ‘institution’ in Haiti. So we are now officially known as the Institution of Light of Sylvain! Regardless of our name, we are still here in Sylvain educating the next generation of Haitians, and we are excited for the year to come.

In the 2021-2022 School year, we were proud to graduate all 124 students. 100% of our preschool and primary students passed their exams and moved to the next grade! Considering only about 60% of elementary-age students in Haiti attend school, and fewer than 30% of those students reach 6th grade, this is a huge accomplishment. We attribute this success to building intentional relationships with parents, refining our classroom strategies, and ensuring our students have the best learning environment possible. We are grateful for the hard work of our staff, teachers, and administrators.

n the 2021-2022 School year, we were proud to graduate all 124 students. 100% of our preschool and primary students passed their exams and moved to the next grade! Considering only about 60% of elementary-age students in Haiti attend school, and fewer than 30% of those students reach 6th grade, this is a huge accomplishment. We attribute this success to building intentional relationships with parents, refining our classroom strategies, and ensuring our students have the best learning environment possible. We are grateful for the hard work of our staff, teachers, and administrators.

Lord willing, this coming year will see 166 students attending from preschool to 4th grade. Our staff has grown to 19 teachers and helpers, including a new school secretary and a student monitor. Our school principal, Micul, has been a blessing to the school. He navigates all the laws and regulations of having a school in Haiti. We are thankful to have someone to deal with those difficult bureaucratic issues that are critical.

Also new to the Institution of Light and the Sylvain campus are two new buildings. Construction began last fall on the new 4th-6th grade building and the new school administration building. Everything was completed in time for us to move in and set up before September 5th, when the new school year begins. The new space has given us ample storage room and a dedicated space for teaching training and meetings.

Speaking of teacher training, we kicked off the school year with a fantastic three-day training led by a group called P4H, a Haitian-based organization out of Cap Haitian. They focus on training teachers in current teaching theories and practices. It was a great learning and bonding time for our staff as they learned some new ideas on discipline, classroom management, collaborative learning, and learning styles. Our teachers will benefit from this training and the ongoing support this group will give. Teacher training is all part of our intentional effort to invest in the future of education in Haiti.

We want to thank everyone for your support and prayers for our school. We feel the love and appreciate your continued interest. Our school is getting bigger, our students are growing taller, and our staff continues to grow. We pray that all our efforts glorify God. We are thankful for His love, blessings, and what He allows us to do in Haiti.