Lake Forest Country Day School Students Celebrate Diwali - The Festival of Lights

Diwali, the ancient Hindu festival of lights, is one of India’s largest holiday celebrations. On Wednesday, Lake Forest Country Day School (LFCDS) students took part in this celebration, which symbolizes the victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, good over evil, and hope over despair.

In both Lower School and Upper School community meetings, students shared what Diwali entails -- its origins, what it symbolizes, who celebrates this holiday, and how they celebrate. Parents decorated the school with diya, or lamps, and intricate Rangoli designs made of fresh flower petals, and gave each child in the school a small, ornate diya to take home and share with their families. Junior kindergarten students learned about Diwali during show and tell.

During the Diwali celebration, Head of School Bob Whelan reminded students that one of the Habits of Mind is Responding with Wonderment and Awe. Mr. Whelan noted that today’s celebration of Diwali is a fantastic example of how we engage with others’ traditions with excitement and curiosity.

Mr. Whelan said, “We believe in teaching and nurturing the whole child to be successful in a global world. Part of that development is sharing, exploring, and celebrating the traditions that our school families hold dear.”

LFCDS employs Habits of Mind, an identified set of 16 problem-solving, life-related skills necessary for students to develop strategic reasoning, insightfulness, perseverance, creativity and craftsmanship. Lake Forest Country Day School is a premiere regional independent school dedicated to excellence in education for children ages two through Grade 8. For more information on LFCDS, please visit www.lfcds.org or call 847.234.2350