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.