Two little champs

- Mr. Somnath Kamble

Our two little champions, Varun Tirthani and Aniket Vishwarkarma joined 48 others on their flight to Delhi for the National finals of the NBA skills challenge competition scheduled for 7^th-8^th of July.  The venue:  Thyagaraj Indoor Stadium at the INA (Indian National Academy).  Facing a tough drill comprising basketball skills such as lay up, cross over dribble, chest pass, shooting and bounce pass, our two contenders were up to the task.  They were competing with the very best of India, and had made thus far not without breaking a sweat.  Varun Thirtani came within an ace of capturing the crown – he stood a close third – while our other competitior, Aniket, came a commendable fifth.

It was an opportunity of a life-time for our budding hoopsters.  Beisdes competing at the national level, they were also privileged to rub shoulders with some big names of the lofty NBA league:  Troy Justice, the former coach of Miami Heats, and Roger Bell of the Utah Jazz. And share a few tips on the intricacies and the finer aspects of the game, they did! Every participant was rewarded with a trophy, a pair of shoes and a NBA t-shirt for their hard work and commitment to the game.

A return flight brought our basketball players back to Mumbai, not before teaching them a lesson or two in basketball and the great game of life.  As Varun puts it succinctly, “This was indeed a wonderful experience for each of us, and we will use what has been taught to us in our game, and assist our team mates and co-players to utilize these skills to raise the bar.” That’s the spirit boys!

The green ball is set rolling

- Ms. Queenie Aranjo

17^th July 2012 was a green-letter day at St. Joseph’s.  The GreenLine team spearheaded by Fr. Savio Silveira came a calling to the green school to set the ball rolling for yet another green scholastic year. The school group comprised the school leaders and they were accompanied by the staff representatives Mrs. Pavita Fernandes, Ms. Sunita D’Souza and Ms. Queenie Aranjo. 

At the introductory session, Fr. Savio complimented the school and the leaders for the environment-friendly tag and the commitment to this cause. The challenge now was to carry this commitment forward beyond the boundary walls of the campus or our homes, and impact our neighborhood and city.  Fr. Savio introduced the theme of Biodiversity chosen by the GreenLine team this year through a soul-searching power point presentation. The beautiful world with all its resources and diversity has been reduced to a ‘once upon a time’ tale. If only it had been nurtured, cared for, respected, and allowed to enjoy its rights just as any other human being!

Ms. Devyani from the GreenLine team provided some relevant information on the diverse species that are present in the world.  The mind boggling numbers amazed us – 9,50,000 species of insects, 2,70,000 species of plants, another 19,000 of fish….and the numbers go on.  A quick comparison to the number of species present in India revealed that our nation stands 12^th as the mega diverse nation of the world. Reflecting on the topic of Green cover, Ms Devyani touched upon the importance of trees, and the interdependence of the flora and fauna in any given region. Research shows that we are losing the forest cover at a phenomenal rate every year – the scenario in Mumbai is shocking: 1 tree for every 6 persons. It means an imbalance of the oxygen-carbon dioxide cycle, that in turn affects our climate, food production, and ultimately man himself. The precocious nature and the selfish designs of humans have precipitated this crisis.

An interesting topic on ‘native plants/trees’ was next up for discussion animated by Ms. Parveen.  She stressed on the importance of planting trees that require less water, and also those that adapt to a particular climate. Banyan tree, Gulmohar tree, Peepal tree, Mango tree... were some of the native trees that were identified in the activity conducted.  Fr. Savio Silveira wound up the session with some practical tips/activities to arm ourselves for the green battle ahead: Green mapping of the school campus and of the Five Gardens, Adopting trees, Green wall, and Recycling. This was greeted with enthusiastic ‘ayes’ from the participants sending forth ripples of hope to all the green campaigners of the school and the city!

Little boys, big goals!

-Ms. Sunita Fernandes

On 13^th July 2012, precisely a week after the celebration of the feast of St. Dominic Savio, our ‘little champs’ from Stds. I-IV were handed new responsibilities. Little boys, big goals! At 11 am, the Primary section of our school gathered in the school hall for the grand and solemn investiture ceremony of the leaders of this group.  The chief guest, Fr. Bernard Fernandes (Principal), and the guests of honour, Ms. Nicole Britto (Vice-Principal) and Mrs. Matilda Fernandes (Head teacher of the Primary section) graced the occasion. 

A lighted lamp is a symbol of hope, and this hope was rekindled in our hearts as Fr. Bernard lit the lamp to mark the beginning of the investiture ceremony.  This was followed by Solomon’s ‘prayer for wisdom’ recited by Master Siddh Sawant.  The Head boy of the Primary section, Siddh Sawant, and the assistant Head boy, Master Ian D’Souza, were solemnly sworn in and given their ties by Fr. Bernard.  Master Siddh proceeded to take an oath pledging loyalty in the discharge of his duties.  The house captains and the house vice-captains were then invested by our Principal.  The excitement in the audience was palpable as the class house captains and house vice-captains braced themselves for a similar honour at the hands of our guests of honour, Ms. Nicole and Mrs. Matilda.  The class monitors and vice-monitors marched in last to be the proud recipients of the ties - symbolizing leadership and responsibility – from their class teachers. Their oath taken, the Principal was then called on the stage for the vote of thanks.  A short advice to the newly installed leaders on their responsibility served as a prelude to the generous thanks to all – staff and parents – who contributed in making this solemn ceremony a huge success.  No assembly is complete without a full-throated rendition of the school anthem.  And that’s how it ended – with gusto, pride and loyalty!

Feast of St. Dominic Savio – Investiture ceremony

-Nimit Kamdar

St. Dominic Savio has a special place in the hearts of the young.  He attracts us with his magnetic aura and personality.  No wonder that his feast (though on 6^th May as per the church calendar) is celebrated in all Salesian schools with great devotion and respect for the saint.  It was no different at St. Joseph’s, Wadala on 6^th July, 2012. 

The day began with a solemn Eucharistic celebration with our newly appointed school leaders, looking dapper in their blazers and armed with school flags, leading the procession to the main altar. The catholic students of the school were in full attendance; so too were the staff and some of the parishioners. Our Principal, Fr. Bernard Fernandes, who was the main celebrant for the mass, invited the congregation to imitate Dominic Savio in leading an exemplary life, doing ordinary things in an extraordinary way.  The non-Catholic students of the secondary section were privileged to view a short video clipping on the life of this great saint during the prayer service conducted for them.

The grand and solemn investiture ceremony for the secondary section of the school was held immediately after the short break.  The guests, Fr. Godfrey D’Sa, Fr. Bernard Fernandes, Ms. Nicole Britto and Mrs. Sangita, were escorted to the stage with a guard of honor by our leaders.  In the pageantry that followed, the Head boy, Neel Mehta, and the assistant Head boy, Sandesh Ramraje, received their ties from Fr. Godfrey D’Sa.  The house captains, Akshay Vasan, Jay Chedda, Nimish Doshi and Parth Chothani, and the vice-captains, Yash Mehta, Moksh Jain, Anuj Patel and Shahzad Faroodi, were bestowed with a similar honor by the Principal, Fr. Bernard Fernandes.  Ms. Nicole and Mrs. Sangita did the honors of investing the class house captains, while the privilege to induct the class monitors and vice monitors was reserved to the respective class teachers.  Mr. Bosco, R.S.P. in charge, invested the leader of our young and energetic R.S.P. troupe.

Addressing the gathering, in particular, the leaders, Fr. Godfrey D’Sa, impressed upon them the need to take responsibility by honing their leadership skills. Fr. Principal thanked the teachers, Ms. Cressieda and Ms. Rina, for the meticulous planning and execution of this impressive ceremony. The sweet words of the school anthem resounded within the precincts of the school hall as the boys sang with gusto and pride: “Boys of Joseph’s…we are the pride of St. Joseph’s.”