Veritas welcomes Grade Ones with candle-lighting ceremony

In honour of its tradition, Veritas Preparatory College held a candlelight ceremony as part of Grade One’s inauguration.

The ceremony originates from the school tradition of gifting Grade Seven learners with a candle at their valedictory mass on the last day of school.

In this way, Grade One learners light a candle as they begin their primary school journey, and at the end of Grade Seven, they will continue to shine their light as they enter high school.

With the candlelight ceremony, the school chooses a theme for the ceremony yearly, with this year being the jungle.

Sanet van Vuuren, Foundation Phase HOD, explains that each learner received a specially crafted candle holder with a giraffe, elephant and lion on it, with the slogan ‘Wild about Grade One’.

“A Grade Seven mentor is allocated to each learner, and they assist the little ones during the procession and journey with them in their first year of school,” said Van Vuuren.

Van Vuuren added that the school encourages its learners to shine their light wherever they go.

Words of encouragement from the school: “In words and conversation, let us speak with respect, keeping our language clean and avoiding words that would wound or offend. In charity, we can help people who are lonely, ill, or discouraged and lift their spirits.

“In spirit, we strive to be kind, grateful, and forgiving. In faith, we trust in the Lord and His word. In purity, we are clean in body, mind, and spirit.”