An encore in Basketball!

Another success in ‘Level A’ Dominic Savio Hoop Tournament!

St. Joseph’s High School

Wadala

February 27, 2013

The u-14 Basketball team proved that the MSSA u-13 basketball title won a fortnight before was no flash in the pan when they regained the Dominic Savio Hoop trophy for the second year in succession.  Playing in the Level A tournament in the u-14 category, our boys proved their mettle defeating some top teams of the city to bag the title.  The tournament organized by Dominic Savio, Andheri, attracts the best of schools in the city of Mumbai, and also serves as a platform to hone the skills and share notes with others.

The games were spread over two days, 22^nd and 23^rd of February 2013.  In the group stages, our team defeated Cathedral 12-7, and trounced Billabong International 33-6.  They were up against a formidable opponent in VIBGYOR school in the semi finals whom they beat 17-06 to set up a clash with the winners of PG Garodia/DB Matunga match.  Reserving their best for the last, our boys exulted in a sweet victory over PG Garodia 38-27 to bring home the trophy for the second consecutive year.   Our team member, Varun Tirthani, capped the successful proceedings by winning the prestigious MVP (Most Valuable Player) award.  

‘Plan well and train hard’ is the mantra of the team led by the coaches Mr. Raju and Mr. Somnath.  And… they are rewarded with consistent results and ‘big’ trophies!  

A fond farewell to SSC students

"WE WILL MISS YOU DEAREST FRIENDS OF STD. X"

- Ms. Sunita D’Souza

On 11th February, 2013 the students of Std. IX, with the assistance of their class teachers, Mrs. Daisy and Ms. Saluja, bid farewell to the outgoing students of Std. X at an impressive ceremony in the school hall.

A warm welcome was accorded to the S.S.C. batch of 2012-2013 as they entered the hall for the most precious day of the year - the S.S.C. Farewell Party! The members of the management and the staff members followed closely behind.  A touching backdrop greeted them: ' 2001 - 2013 These Were The Best Days Of My Life! Easy To Love St. Joseph's, But Hard To Leave!'

A meaningful prayer service conducted by Ms. Joanna followed the symbolic lighting of the lamp by Fr. Godfrey De Sa, Rector, and Fr. Bernard Fernandes, Principal.  As the hymn, ‘Lord I Offer My Life to You’ played in the background, the S.S.C. students held the lit candles in their hands symbolic of the light shining within.  Rev. Fr. Godfrey then addressed the Std. X students and told them that their presence would be missed. They would continue to be with us in spirit in all that we did. He stated that they must continue to believe in themselves and always ask God to be by their side.

The entertainment programme was a mixed bag of surprises - dances by the students of Stds. VII & VIII to the rhythm of Radha and Gagnam style, and by the students of Stds. V & VI to the beat of the song ‘Boom Boom’; a dance-cum-skit by Std. IX on the journey of Std. X right from the days in Jr. Kg to the present day; and a heartwarming song of Blessing by the staff members.  Interspersed were ‘one-minute’ games that engaged the students of Std. X in some sparkling contests.  In his address to the assembly, the head boy, Master Neel Mehta, speaking on behalf of his batch mates, doffed his hat to the teachers and recounted the many memories that shaped them.

The ‘ Josephite King Contest’ was up next.  A panel of four eminent judges judged this competition very closely.  Ms.Chitra Sawant, a renowned Karate champ and presently pursuing her dream to be an IAS or IPS officer;  Ms Ashwini Lakade, a yoga therapist and a gold medalist in yoga;  Mr. Piyush Rawasnik, singer, music director, producer of TV shows and music albums; and our very own dynamic man in white, Principal, Rev. Fr. Bernard Fernandes, completed the list of the renowned judges.  The dapper contestants walked confidently on the ramp and posed with elan! The many rounds of grueling elimination fine tuned the number to three finalists.  The question, "What is the role of the Indian woman in today's society?" was the decider for the prestigious crown.  In the end, Master Neel Mehta walked away with the ‘Josephite King’ title, closely followed by the first runner-up, Master Sunain Singh Banga, and the second runner-up, Master Akshit Jain. They were ceremoniously crowned by the judges. One of the judges, Mr. Piyush, regaled the audience with a beautiful rendition of the popular Hindi song Meri Deewani!

Rev. Fr. Bernard Fernandes (Principal), in his speech, praised the present batch of Std. X students for their spirit of generosity and service. He thanked the students of Std. IX and their class teachers for the meticulous planning and arrangements of the farewell program.  In a beautiful gesture, the students of   Std. X presented a small token of their affection to the Principal for the needy boys of the school. 

The programme drew to a close with the distribution of special mementos by Std. X class teachers to the outgoing students to cherish and hold on to their memories of the days spent at St. Joseph's! Refreshments were served to all present ending an eventful and heart- warming evening of celebration. 

u-13 are MSSA Basketball champions!

GO FOR GOLD … INDEED THEY DID!

St. Joseph’s High School, Wadala

12^th Feb 2013

It’s just over a week that the school Annual Day celebrations have ended, but the spirit and the resounding theme have not.  The musical ‘Go For Gold’ staged on the annual day seems to have struck a chord not only with the audience that witnessed the play, but also the actors and students on the stage.  A case in point is the recently concluded u-13 MSSA inter-school basketball tournament.  The school u-13 basketball team backed by a tremendous self-belief and an equally resolute coach, Mr. Raju, made light work of their opponents to bag the coveted trophy for the second time in three years.  

In a competition that decides the Mumbai’s best, our young basketball players brushed aside the challenge of some renowned schools to make it to the finals played on 11^th Feb 2013 at Indian Gymkhana, Sion.  Dishing out an attractive and delightful game of basketball, our boys overpowered VIBGYOR 29-15 in the finals to emerge as the MSSA champions in the u-13 category.  It was a sweet taste of victory for our boys who trained hard, worked as a cohesive unit under their coach, and executed their plan to perfection in the entire tournament.

With yet another gold in their kitty, St. Joseph’s are sure driven by on by a desire to achieve nothing but the best! 

Annual day celebrations

                                                           96 years and counting…

Labelled as the the blue riband event of an institution during the scholastic year, the 96^th Annual Day celebrations of St. Joseph’s High School, Wadala, on 2^nd February 2013 lived up to its billing as a topnotch event.  A host of mini-events were lined up for the day’s program besides the grand musical ‘Go For Gold’.  Over a thousand five hundred people were in attendance to witness Josephites come alive with a string of exquisite and well-rehearsed songs and dances.

Fr. Boniface D’Souza, the coordinator of the Education Commission of the Mumbai Province graced the occasion as the Chief Guest of the day.  He, together with the other dignitaries and members of the management – Fr. Godfrey D’Sa (Rector), Fr. Bernard Fernandes (Principal), Fr. Vivian D’Souza (Counselor), Ms. Nicole Britto (Vice-Principal), Mrs. Sangita Bhattacharya (Supervisor), Mrs. Matilda Fernandes (Head teacher, Primary section), Mrs. Shilpa Shah (PTA rep – Secondary), and Mrs. Vidya Harikrishna (PTA rep – Primary, was given a floral welcome by a team of cheer leaders.  The guests were presented with specially designed – by our own staff and students – terrariums replacing the customary bouquets.

The two comperes, accompanied by the Mascots for the JPL (Josephite Premiere League), kept the audience spellbound and entertained with their smart commentating, while at the same time keeping them abreast of the events of the evening. The razzmatazz began with a welcome song by the cute tiny tots of the Pre-Primary section followed by a magnificent prayer dance by a group of energetic and enthusiastic parents teamed with a few students of the Jr. Kg.  The students of Std. I and II, with a green touch, arrested our attention through their mini-musical on the Aesop’s fables. 

It was a day also of the achievers and the prize winners.  The scholarships, the awards and the shields were presented at an impressive ceremony following the speech of the chief guest, Fr. Boniface D’Souza.  Interspersed between these events was the annual school report presented by our Vice-Principal and headmistress, Ms. Nicole Britto, backed by a picturesque power-point presentation.

Thereafter, it was the musical, ‘Go for Gold’, all the way.  The stunning backdrops, sets and scenes – the handiwork of our own staff and students – transported us to the ethereal home of the gods and goddesses of the Greek Pantheon, and lo and behold, we landed slap bang in the middle of the Olympic stadium in Greece!  Many a shy and reticent pupil made it to the main cast of the musical to narrate to us the story of the Spartans and the Athenians, about Zeus and his army of gods of the Greek Pantheon, and of course relate the inner struggle of the athlete Joseph Swift to make it to the big stage – the Olympics.  The perky dances performed by our spirited and dapper dancers – from Std. III to Std. IX – livened up the proceedings no end. And then there was the 130-strong choir that completed the narration of the story through the melodious and rhythmic rendition of the songs in the script.

Pivotal to the theme of the day’s program was the quest for excellence.  This was summed up effectively by the Principal, Fr. Bernard Fernandes, in his vote of thanks where he extolled the ‘champion stuff’ dished out by every member of the Josephites’ team, and gave a clarion call for all to join hands to make this quest a reality in all walks of life. 

Republic Day celebrations - Secondary section

REPUBLIC DAY CELEBRATIONS

- Mrs. Sunita D’Souza

St. Joseph’s High School

26^th January 2013

The Constitution of India came into force on 26th January, 1950 – a day when India was formerly declared a Republic. Sixty three years later, we Indians indeed have reason to jubilate and celebrate this event.  On 26^th Jan 2013, the students of the Secondary Section and the entire staff of St. Joseph’s High School, Wadala, assembled on the school ground for the Republic Day celebration at 8 a.m. The Chief Guest, Rev. Fr. Roy Noronha, sdb, was warmly welcomed by the Guard of honour by the NCC cadets of our school.  He was accompanied by the Guests of Honour - Fr. Bernard Fernandes (Principal), Ms. Nicole Britto (Vice-Principal), Mrs. Sangita Bhattacharya (Secondary Supervisor) and Mrs. Matilda Fernandes (Primary Head Teacher). 

After a smart march past by the NCC cadets under Mr. Raj, the programme commenced with a meaningful prayer service invoking God's blessings on all Indians. The poem in Hindi ‘Bas chahane se manzil nahi milti’ wonderfully recited by a student and the patriotic song sung by a group of students reflected the patriotic fervour and sentiments of everyone present. Some other creative expressions were there in the offing too:  One of the students read out a passage relating the relevance and significance of this day in the life of every Indian. A few other students displayed charts and banners for a better motherland as also cherishing the gift of our Constitution on Republic Day. 

The talented Master Chaitanya Harikrishnan, a student from Std. II, defined the rich culture of India by his exquisite performance on the mrudangam.  With his father by his side assisting in the rhythm, Chaitanya was in full flow as the music beats progressed, and he touched everyone through his music .

Rev. Fr. Roy Noronha, in his address to the gathering, drove home the truth (by way of a parable) that the power to do good or evil is in our hands, and that we as Indians could likewise either contribute to India's progress or cause harm to her.

The students who achieved incredible success in academics and sports received certificates and prizes at the hands of the chief guest.  Later, Fr. Bernard Fernandes, our Principal, specially credited the performance of Master Chaitanya Harikrishna who played the mrudangum with elan and confidence,  Master Varun Tirthani the winner of the prestigious Hindustan Times scholarship from among the many students of the other schools in the city, and Master Nimit Kamdar selected by the NIE newspaper as their ‘Star correspondent’ .  Fr. Bernard thanked the teachers and students who contributed to the success of the day’s program and appealed for a positive contribution from each of us for a better and peaceful India.

Primary section celebrates Republic Day

REPUBLIC DAY CELEBRATIONS (PRIMARY SECTION)

- Mrs. Sunita D’Souza

St. Joseph’s High School, Wadala

5^th Feb 2013

Two days of the calendar carry great significance to all of us Indians – 15^th August, the Independence Day of our motherland, and 26^th January, the Republic Day of our country.  On 24th January, 2013 the students of the Pre-Primary and Primary Sections assembled in the school hall for the Republic Day celebration. The backdrop had a message that appealed to all:  'You Are The Future of India - In Unity We Find Our Strength'.

The young compere warmly welcomed the Chief Guest, Rev. Fr. Bernard Fernandes (Principal).  The program thereafter had all the ingredients of patriotic fervor and colorful celebrations. The students of Std. II expressed aloud the importance of Republic Day and spoke why this day plays an important role in the history of India's progress. They saluted the brave leaders of our country who fought for our freedom and praised the work done by our leaders to plan the Constitution of our country that we follow faithfully to this day.

The students of Std. III sang melodiously a beautiful song 'We Shall Overcome - Hum Hoonge Kameyab' to usher in the spirit of patriotism and with the conviction that we can, and will overcome all obstacles together as citizens of India.  Std. I students conveyed their love and loyalty to our motherland through the recital of the poem "My Country And Me'. Through their power-point presentation, the students of Std. IV brought Delhi closer to us by highlighting the celebrations of the Republic Day in the Capital.

Fr. Bernard addressing the students,  spoke about the problems faced by India today - corruption, poverty, etc. and the need to overcome them in our own little way just like the words of the song 'We Shall Overcome'. He thanked and congratulated all those who worked to make the Republic Day celebrations meaningful and wonderful!