Developing Immunity against Distractions!

In today’s feverish culture of multi-tasking, it is common to remain engaged with smartphones, random chat with friends and acquaintances on social media, a casual input of movie reviews and variety of music. The constant chaos in our hyper-connected worlds and the prevalence of attractive gadgets, influencing groups and wavering thoughts make it impossible to sustain focus on the desired goal.
However, students of Atmiya Vidya Mandir are fortunate to be studying and growing in ‘a home away from home’ which provides a firewall against these alluring distractions. There is no mist of worldly chaos here hence there is a clarity of destination for the students of AVM. Yet being focused in studies and having full concentration in the class have always been a challenge for students. Whether that involuntary doodling during the self-study or day dreaming during lecture, or enticing talks about sports; the attention does get an easy escape at times.
How to get rid of distracting thoughts? How to keep the mind on track? What kind of people might take us off-track? What kind of objects are the hurdles in our success journey and how? How to prolong that concentration span? Vachnamrut Pratham 16 provides answers of all these questions. Hence, during the last week of August 2014, Sundaram House members took the opportunity to explore the teachings of the holy scripture Vachnamrut to find answers of these questions.In order to present the wisdom of Vachnamrut P-16 in the simplest way with its real essence to the students, the house members segregated the teachings in the form of small easy injunctions:

A wise person identifies the flaws within himself and thoughtfully eradicates them.

To begin with, on Monday, Purvesh Sir explained the students that introspection on daily basis is an effective way to identify our flaws but more importantly one has to be thoughtful and keen enough to eradicate them.The next day, on Tuesday, Mukesh Sir, continued with taking yet another pearl of wisdom form Vachnamrut P-16, which is ‘A wise person rejects any apparent flaws he perceives in others and imbibes only their virtues.‘ A story based on the same message was narrated to the students, as a result, students understood that the best way to maintain harmony or Atmiyata with others is by perceiving only good qualities of others.

The third important aspect of the teachings of Vachnamrut P-16 is ‘A wise person accepts whatever words of advice GOD and saint offer as the highest truth but does not doubt their word in any way.’ This was very well explained through a presentation by students with the guidance of Binu Ma’am.

The brightest day of the week was Thursday when students watched a video clipping of Swamiji. The students were enlightened by listening about the valiant and great warrior Shivaji and his Guru Ramdas. In this video, it was stressed upon, that Guru foresees the impending danger and protects us from all odds hence Guru’s words consist highest truth.

In today’s world, where alluring and distractive elements are inevitably our daily encounters, the much relevant and most prominent part of Vachnamrut P-16 is ‘a wise person identifies those objects and evil company that may cause bondage and raise deficiencies in his (goal) ekantik dharma and shuns them; but he does not become bound by them.’

In Friday’s assembly, this thought was elaborated with examples and presentation so students can build the technique to seize that unstable mind and drag it from its wanderings and fix it on one idea. Students were suggested to seek constant strength from God to be strong enough to withstand the distractions and remain determined towards their goal so that they cannot be swayed by diverting elements.

Finally, this Sundaram House week’s assemblies concluded on Saturday, with an urge to the students to imbibe positive thoughts and avoid negative thoughts. Students were explained how good company and friendship with saints can help them harbour good thoughts and repel evil thoughts.

As the summative examinations are approaching AVM students are all set to follow the prudent teachings of Vachnamrut Pratham-16 so that they can conquer all those diverting thoughts.

Good News!! Students of Atmiya Vidya Mandir are learning to tame their mind… they are learning to nip the bad thought in its bud.

Satyam House celebrates the value Sincerity

To offer real service to mankind we must add something which cannot be bought or measured with money and that is Sincerity and Integrity.The central message that was delivered by Satyam House during daily assemblies in the middle of August 2014 was ‘Sincerity is not to SAY everything we think, but to MEAN everything we say’. It is indeed difficult, but not impossible, if we assure ourselves to dedicate our service to the nation with utmost commitment.

Satyam House began by presenting an invaluable description of the life of Param Pujya Swamiji whose sincerity, right from the childhood till date, is immeasurable and unspeakable. Imbibing lessons of Sincerity, a bit every day, from the life of this divine entity enables us to inherit the qualities of modesty, integrity and value oriented life.

There are various aspects that could be considered in order to understand this important value of sincerity. How can we say that a person is sincere? Is it when he/she is honest, faithful, truthful or hardworking?

When we say a person is sincere, then the virtues like honesty, innocence, nobility, faithfulness and truthfulness are bound to be found in that person. The real quality of a ‘BHOOLKU’ is that he/she never compromises with the quality of work that he/she undertakes.

Throughout the week, the students were explained that in order to be successful in any field, whether it is academic, sports, arts or music, one has to be sincere in his/her work. ‘Sincerity means to put our 100% efforts in whatever we do’.

To further justify the topic, anecdotes from the lives of the great personalities who have encouraged all by living a life that demonstrates sincerity were highlighted.

Through these assemblies, the students were assisted to gain the understanding that development of the nation not only depends on the intelligent human resources but also on the sincerity and honesty of these human resources.

Thus, Satyam House put in humble efforts to inculcate the important value ‘sincerity’ in day–to–day life. The seeds of sincerity that have been sown in the students’ hearts and minds will definitely bear fruits in their attitude in the coming time.

Written by: Samidh Ma’am

A Refreshing & Inspiring Trip!

Despite being a very young school with just 3 graduating batches so far, we are proud that our students are already doing well wherever they have gone across India or across the globe. With their hard work, Param Pujya Swamishree’s blessings and God’s grace, all are doing well at very good places.These Atmiyans have been building small Atmiya communities wherever they have gone. This Rakshabandhan break, we decided to visit two of these Atmiya communities.

The first trip was to Chennai, to meet with those studying at the SRM University. There are 16 AVM students studying there from the three 3 batches combined. As a pleasant surprise, we were greeted by familiar faces right outside the Chennai airport on 9th August evening. And it was such a pleasure to see them! We stayed with them for 3 very memorable days.We spent the entire Sunday with them, discussing all sorts of topics with them: about personal, academic, professional and spiritual progress. On Monday, we visited the university to find out first-hand about the place and the opportunities it offered. We were able to look around 3 departments, meet two HoDs and the Nanotechnology Research Centre Head.

The labs and the research facilities of the university are truly impressive. We were touched even more so by meeting with the HoDs. Dr. Thyagarajan (HoD, Dept. of Biotechnology), came across as an extremely learned and yet humble person. He spent about 2 hours with us, personally showing us around the labs and discussing his views about education and concern for welfare of the youths.

In our meeting with Dr. Murali (HoD, Dept. of Mechatronics), we found him also to be very much concerned about the well-being of the students. And in Mr Gopalakrishnan (Centre Incharge, Nanotechnology Research Centre), we found a patriotically hearted spiritual person.

We are extremely happy about the progress and performance of the atmiyans and especially so by seeing that they have continued with the Atmiya way of life, staying together, maintaining simplicity. They have made us proud of their continuing with the legacy. It was wonderful to see our children mature into responsible young men who are not only conscious about their academics and professional life, but also caring about their families, and making an effort to further improve their personal life. We feel all the more assured that these individuals will grow into outstanding citizens of our wonderful country and make their parents proud.

As for our views of the SRM University, we found it to be a place that offers ample opportunities for research, has great infrastructure while constantly improving and adding new facilities. Students indeed have the opportunity to learn from faculty who have exemplary qualifications and experience, and also the chance to study at some of the best places around the world due to the tie-ups with foreign universities.

The next part of the trip was to Mumbai where another sizeable community of atmiyans reside, doing great at great places like NMIMS, CBS, NM and HR. We spent an evening with them (with some good coffee!) and discussed a wide range of topics related to their all round development.

We came back re-energised and refresh, inspired by the thoughts, actions and aspirations of these young gentlemen.

And we look forward to meeting with them all soon and over and over again.

જેના મિત્રો સરસ, એની જીન્દગી સફળ!

The one who has the company of True Friends, lives a truly successful life.

Friendship is the most important and influential factor of our lives. Friends provide the stimulus to the way we think, speak, act, talk, behave, etc. They delineate our character and mould our success stories. Shivam House was very much privileged to celebrate the value of “Friends” as part of weekly assemblies.
So, how do we make friends? What kind of success can a friend help us achieve? Generally, we make friends based on the following:1. Usefulness: How useful can one be to you? Will he lend me his perfume? Will he share his chocolates with me? Will he help me to complete my homework? Will he support me in case an adverse situation arises? These are some of the questions we ask ourselves and confirm, before making friends.

2. Pleasure: Some people are fun loving and their presence drives all your worries away. They always have some funny things to share that make you roar with laughter. Some others may accompany you in shopping and watching a movie. You may share the same interests in academics sports and technologies, for example:

  • I like watching and discussing about American Football and Raj also likes it, so he is my best friend.
  • I like gadgets and latest technology like an Apple iPhone and Ani shares with me the latest apps and games of iPhone, so he is my best friend.
  • I enjoy making working models and Jeet is also interested in making scientific models, so he is my best friend.

3. Virtue: When someone has creditable personality traits or values in him, we are naturally attracted to that individual and want to make him our friend. Some of these virtues include being respectful, faithful, effective communication, proactive, supportive nature, understanding nature, etc. The fact that he is your friend makes you feel proud. You will be ready to do whatever such a person tells you to do.

So now there is another very important question as to which of the above mentioned friends are good friends? And yes, there is still the question of definition of success.

Thinking carefully, the type 3 ‘Virtuous Friends’ are the ideal friends. But it is also true that one who is virtuous may not be as helpful and joyful. So then, type 1 ‘Useful Friends’ may be a good option. But there may or may not be situations in life where you may need help from people and hence, such friendship lacks quality and constant contact. Now the only option that remains is type 2 ‘Pleasure loving Friends’. But how long can one keep on laughing at jokes and foolishness of some other people. Moreover how long will you share things of interest? There will be a point of saturation reached, someday.

In a way, all of the above discussed friends are good friends. We need friends with virtues so that we can become virtuous, we need friends who are useful as they will be ready to share things with us, and we definitely need friends who bring joy and pleasure to our life and who share the same interest as ours. As Param Pujya Swamiji has regularly emphasised that whatever good we find in others we should observe, meditate and imbibe. Moreover, when we get to learn something good from someone he is our good friend.

Furthermore, Swamiji has also explained through His discourses that a true friend is the one who…

  1. Will help you to achieve academic success and will help you to make your senses positive.
    One may claim that he has friend(s) who helps him academically and they both are academically successful. But the real question to ask is:
    Are they helping each other to see positively? Are they helping each other to talk positive about others? Are they helping each other to listen positive about others? Are they selflessly helping others by sharing knowledge?
    Thus, a true friend will help you make your senses positive, develop the focus and hence become academically strong.
  2. Will help you to settle down in life, live a morally and culturally sound life, maintain positivity and live happily.
    One may say that he has earned a lot of money in life and he is successful. He may also claim that he has lots of friends who are extremely rich. But the question arises, is earning money the true success of life? Money will get you all the necessary materialistic comforts, however it will not be able to buy respect and humility; it will not fetch you a tension free live and it will not fetch you good and positive thoughts. Only a true friend will teach one to live a morally and culturally sound life and that will help one to develop humility and gain respect.
    A true friend will help you to stick to positive thoughts and hence, will be loyal and committed at all times.
  3. Will teach you to grow spiritually i.e. to live with ‘Atmiyata’ and ‘Suhradbhav’. He will support you in following the commands of Guru and will teach you to offer service with devotion. He will teach you to celebrate the diversity and adversity of life. He will teach you how to attain the true bliss of God.

Under the guidance of teachers, the Shivam House team made a humble effort to put forth the above discussion in the daily assemblies through videos, presentations and speeches.

The week concluded on 9th August with a heart touching drama depicting the importance of true friends. In the drama, it was portrayed that true friendship is brimming with faith, acceptance and selfless sacrifice. It not only benefits the friends but influences the people around in a positive manner.

Written by: Prabhudarshan Sir

Glimpses from Swamishree’s Ideal Student Life

Behind the iconic name of the school ‘Atmiya’ lies a noble mission of His Divine Holiness Param Pujya Hariprasad Swamiji. It is to nurture the qualities of compassion, harmony and devoutness in the students of Atmiya Vidya Mandir. Swamishree is an epitome of these values and His student life is a perfect example of an ideal student life, hence in the third week of July, from 14th July to 20th July 2014, Sundaram House members presented glimpses of Swamishree’s inspiring student-life.

 

In this week, Sundaram House members discussed how Swamiji’s student life is like a road-map showing a clear-cut route to success and happiness. On Monday, Purvesh Sir explained that if we analyse Swamiji’s student life, we can find glimpses of the qualities of sincerity, hard work, devotion and compassion. On Tuesday, students were shown through a video presentation, how Prabhudasbhai (Swamishree’s childhood name) was obedient and respectful towards his parents. Wednesday brought forth a presentation on Swamishree’s school life in which students learnt how Prabhudasbhai excelled in his academics through constant hard work, full attention and being meticulous about his books. On the following day, students were privileged to relive, through a video, one of Swamishree’s visits to AVM. In this video, by giving example of His own life, Swamishree advised students to stay away from misleading movies and remain focused to the studies. On Friday, Mukesh Sir, elucidated how qualities of respectfulness, acceptance and positive attitude made Prabhudasbhai an ideal student.And then arrived the most awaited, most significant, eventful day of creative assembly where an incident of Prabhudasbhai’s life was enacted. A drama presentation explained the students about Swamiji’s unflinching focus on maintaining his positive attitude and harmony with others in spite of all unfavourable circumstances. This creative assembly was a source of insight for the students as they realised not to expend their energy in those matters which do not contribute in living an ideal life. The dramatization of ‘Dudhpak’ incident from Swamiji’s life brought the students to a deeper understanding of their purpose of life. Thus, with a better understanding of their goal, they can stay focused in fruitful work.

In a world which is full of alluring interferences for the students, they have a daily battle with the distractions to stay prolific and in such a scenario, analysis of Swamishree’s student life helps to create a firewall against all distractions. As a matter of fact, by this week’s presentations, students are highly inspired to maintain acceptance, forgiveness and harmony amongst themselves which further creates clarity of destination.

Guru: God Personified

Every nook and corner of AVM campus and every life associated with it, has been flourishing through the ever flowing grace of His Divine Holiness Param Pujya Hariprasad Swamiji. Hence, at AVM, Guru Purnima is just not a commemoration of Swamishree’s glory but a day to reunite with His supremacy by offering our prayers to Him.“Swamishree always blesses us with all success and happiness, we just need to be committed and resolute for a good cause and a good goal.” said Suhrad Swamiji while addressing the congregation of Guru Purnima celebration in the Atmiya Prayer Hall on campus. In the presence of all elders, teachers, hostel staff, students and all members of Atmiya family, the programme started with Thakorji’s pujan by saints from Haridham and principal Vijay Sir. The junior class’ students sang melodious bhajans admiring the beauty of a Guru-guided life.

 

Thereafter, the host of the programme, Mukesh sir narrated a few stories to the students elucidating that the Guru is God manifested and He cultivates the human potentials. The students were reminded that it was the day for them to resolve to those easy-to-follow yet hard-to-stick to injunctions given by Swamishree to all AVM students and to realise that following these will help them to be a better human being.The inspiring and elevating words of Pujya Suhrad Swamiji on this pious occasion explained that the best way of celebrating Guru Purnima and offering true reverence to Swamishree is by self – reflection to be worthy of His blessings. He further added that it is a day to decide to resort to prayers and take divine help each time we deviate from our goal. This would certainly bring a realisation which leads to improvement.

So let’s decide, how we are going to deal with the darkness within us – with the glare of fascinating distractions that obscures OR with the light – the glow of Guru’s grace that illuminates!!!

3Ds for an Ideal Student: Determination, Dedication & Devotion

The destiny of a nation depends on the character of people. And as defined, the character is not merely the awareness of some values but also both, the desire and capacity to uphold them in practice. On one hand, we are experiencing a rapid global change, and on the other, we all are also hoping for peaceful and prosperous global community.

Our school functions on the essence of the basic Indian culture, supported by His Divine Holiness Hariprasad Swamiji. According to him, every child can be an ideal child, if he is determined, devoted and dedicated to understand the core of every task assigned to him. It is said that an ideal student is the wealth and future of the nation. Such student is a hope of a family and pride of the school. Such bright and good students are the gems of an institution, thus they are able to become responsible citizens, statesmen and leaders of tomorrow.

Working on the same line, Satyam House took an initiative to project the aspect of “3Ds” for an ideal student i.e. ‘Determination, Dedication and Devotion’. It was demonstrated in regular assembly through real life examples and live role models. Everyday a personality was selected and was appreciated by teacher and students together.

Day
An Ideal student
Monday
Dr. Prakash Aamte, the sincere social worker
Tuesday
Sardar Patel, an iron man of India
Wednesday
APJ Abdul Kalam, the former President of India
Thursday
HDH Hariprasad Swamiji, the spiritual master
Friday
Helen Keller, the first deaf & blind person to earn a bachelor
degree
Saturday
Sage Panini, a great Sanskrit Master
All the presentations depicted the value in its real sense. It not only helped students discover the hidden powers of 3Ds – Dedication, Determination and Devotion, but also help them in setting good examples for their personal and professional lives.
– By Satyam House Team

Habits – Key to Effectiveness

We are what we repeatedly do.
Excellence then, is not just an act, it is a habit.
-Aristotle

The power of habits is mind-boggling. If we develop positive habits then we can multitask efficiently and achieve the desired results in all that we do. The question is, “Is there any standard technique, strategy or rules that can help us to develop the habit of becoming successful?” The answer to this is very well explained in the very inspiring book, ‘The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens’ by Sean Covey. In this book, he has put forward the seven fundamental habits that can help a teenager achieve the desired goals, fulfill his dreams, build a successful career, live a happy and stress free life and build a highly esteemed character.

Shivam House had an opportunity to explore, analyze, correlate and share the 7 habits of highly effective teenagers with all the students at AVM throughout the week. The following points were discussed in the assembly:

Habit 1: Be Proactive
· I am a responsible person
· I take Initiative
· I choose my actions, attitudes and moods
· I do not blame others for my wrong actions
· I do the right thing without being asked, even when no one is looking

Habit 2: Begin with End in Mind
· I plan ahead and set goals
· I do things that have meaning and make a difference
· I am an important part of my classroom and contribute to my schools mission and vision, and look for ways to be a good citizen

Habit 3: Put First Things First
· I spend my time on the things that are most important. This means I say no to the things I know I should not do
· I set priorities, make a schedule and follow my plan
· I am disciplined and organized

Habit 4: Think Win-Win
· I balance courage for getting what I want with consideration for what others want
· I make deposits in other’s emotional bank accounts
· When conflicts arise, I look for third alternatives

Habit 5: Seek First to Understand and then to be understood
· I listen to other people’s ideas and feelings. I try to see things from their view points
· I listen to others without interrupting
· I am confident in voicing my ideas
· I look people in the eyes when talking

Habit 6: Synergize
· I value other people strengths and learn from them
· I get along well with others, even people who are different than me
· I work well in groups
· I seek out other people’s ideas to solve problems because I know that by teaming with others we can create better solutions than any one of us alone
· I am humble.

Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw (Perpetual Learner)
· I take care of my body, by eating right, exercising and taking rest.
· I spend time with family and friends.
· I learn in a lot of ways and lots of places, not just at school.
· I take time to find meaningful ways to help others.


Under the guidance of teachers, the students explored what the parents, teachers and the business world expect from all the students. It was also an opportunity for the students at AVM to realize how the principles of AVM as laid down by Param Pujya Hariprasad Swamiji are leading them towards becoming the leaders of tomorrow.

What
Parents, Businesses and Teachers want for students?
Mapping
Habits
Swamiji’s
Vision
Independence
Initiative, Self Motivation
Habit 1-3
Be proactive
Begin with end in mind
Put First Things first
Students should have a goal in life which should be serving parents
and society…
Self Confidence
Planning Skills
Goal Setting Skills
Organization/Time Management
Interdependence
Conflict Management Skills
Habits 4-6
Think Win-Win
Seek first to understand then to be understood
Synergize
The Student should have stable Speech (vani), righteousness of act
(vartan) and Thinking (Vichar).
Communication Skills (both listening and presentation skills)
Honesty
Fairness
Openness to Suggestion
Team Work
Problem Solving
Decision Making
Creativity
Renewal
Technical Skills
Habit 7
Sharpen the Saw
  • Physical
  • Mental
  • Emotional
  • Spiritual
The student should be a leader; wherever he should go he should make
changes.
Love, passion, dedication, devotion, determination, enthusiasm and
spirituality.
Good Health and Hygiene
Emotional Stability
Analytical Skills
Involvement in Meaningful skills

 

 Students understood that if they started with any one of the above mentioned habits, then slowly and steadily they will be able to imbibe the others. This will not only help them to become successful but also a good human being.

Such a person will be a significantly contributing factor to the family, society and nation.

Compiled by: Shivam House Team

Being blessed by Him to be better

It was the eventful month of February and the so called examination mammoth was inching closer……the students and the teachers were feeling nipped; Occasionally, the pursuit of targets left the minds weary and the fatigue engulfed these mortal forms,… as if passivity was hovering over for its prey: consequently, a growing urge for a divine help was apparent from the swelling visitors to the altar at school’s prayer hall….hurrah !!!! The prayers were answered!!! His Divine Holiness Param Pujya Hariprasad Swamiji Maharaj arrived at AVM, His very glimpse was like a sight of an oasis by the parched travellers, there were delighted faces and elated hearts, the joy was unfathomable as the students, the teachers and the entire AVM family and everything around here.. took on a bright sheen as if rejuvenated and imbued with happiness by His presence.

His boundless love for the students called for an assembly (Sabha) which was held in the school prayer hall on 25th February 2014. The hall was brimmed with devoted heads and eager hearts as Swamishree addressed all with His kind and deep concern. To begin with, the students sang a heart stirring lyrical hymn… adding a bit edge to the ardent ambiance and there came a benign smile on Swamishree’s face as He listened to these prayers being offered to Him. Purvesh Sir handled the mic and being a zestful host of the programme, he shared a few incidences where students of AVM evidently practised ideal behaviour in classes, playground and in hostel. Soon after Vinamrabhai of Std 8th was invited on the stage to present a brief report on cultural activities through which lessons of harmony and the moral values are imparted to the students. Thereafter, Purvesh Sir specified a few more incidents stating how the very mission of the school “Union of Body, Mind and Soul” is being accomplished. This brought an appreciating and enchanting gesture on Swamishree’s face and His encompassing gaze left us in total bliss. After that Abhishekbhai Ariwala and Nileshbhai Yadav of Std 12th offered a prayer on behalf of all students and asked for His blessings in all their endeavours. It was followed by a much awaited and momentous opportunity for the students of class 12th to get one-to–one meeting with Swamishree. He was being affectionate, listening patiently to each one of them enveloping them in His divine aura and blessing them.

Then came the ever auspicious “better one day in your court than thousand elsewhere” moment, when Swamishree voiced His golden words. How convincingly yet persuasively He explained to the students that they should always be extremely respectful to their parents and withdraw instantly the very thought of aggressiveness towards elders in the family! Students listened very earnestly when Swamishree stressed over becoming God-Loving and adopting the habit of resorting to prayers in all times. Moreover, He strengthened their commitment and zeal for being better by insisting them to avoid watching distracting movies and keeping good company. Thus, Swamishree blessed students not only for a brilliant career but induced the contemplation to lead a fearless existence with righteousness, purity of intentions, positive thinking and focused mind.

If glorious sun shines above our head … what more light needed to be asked for? Seemingly Swamishree’s very presence among us exudes a powerful scent of serenity, how fortunate we are to be sheltered under His umbrella of love and enjoying the bliss!!!!!!!

SARANSH 2013-14

The myriad celebrations throughout the year 2013-14 culminated into a grand, touching and inspiring closing ceremony on the 15th of February 2014, titled “Saransh – Lets celebrate each other”.This year was a very memorable and a historic year for Atmiya Vidya Mandir in so many ways. Historic because the year 2013-14 marked the 10th anniversary of the school’s inception. It was memorable and enjoyable as we had as many as 8 creative assemblies, 8 academic competitions, 6 inter-house sports competitions, 3 soft board displays and many other cultural activities full of singing and dancing. The annual athletic meet this time had many record breaking performances by the students on the track and field events.

The ceremony presented the moment to give away the awards to all the winners. But before we declare that, we would like to make the readers aware of what Saransh is. Saransh is about re-living those incredible moments that the school has given us students this year. Saransh is not merely an event of giving away awards and trophies, but, is a highlight of what we all could achieve together as a school. And it is also about appreciating each other and counting our blessings. This legacy event celebrates the very core of our school: Atmiyata.

 

The function began according to the school’s tradition, with Thakorji’s poojan. It was followed by the marching off of all the student council members.Next was a unique performance that was never witnessed before in our school. This performance needed a lot of hard work and practice to perform live in front of the whole school. It was named ‘Naad Brahma’. Students as young as 7 years to 15 years old took part in this mesmerizing performance. It included some budding musicians from the school playing various instruments as well as young singers lending their voice to some unbelievable musical melodies. This miracle was possible because of the vision and hard work of our music teachers Jaimin Sir and Himanshu Sir. Thank you Jaimin Sir and Himanshu Sir.

Closing ceremony also presents an opportunity to various house representatives to express their gratitude and share their experiences. This year, the house captains (all from class 10) gave speeches instead of the house conveners. It was heartening to see the leaders of tomorrow speak confidently in front of a sizable audience. They expressed their experiences about how they felt leading their house. They also thanked the students who contributed significantly towards their houses.

The members of the school student council, especially the captains, vice captains, sports captain, vice head boy and head boy had been instrumental in carrying out various activities throughout the year. To applaud their efforts they were all given certificates by respected principal sir.

Then it was the time to give away trophies and awards for different activities held in the school.

The winners were:

  • Best Sports House Satyam House
  • Best Academic HouseShivam House
  • Best Soft Board DisplaySuhradam House
  • Winners of the Debating Club CompetitionShivam House
  • Best House in Creative AssembliesShivam House
  • The Annual Athletic Meet ChampionSundaram House


The other set of awards were received by the following inspiring performances/talented individuals:

Next, respected Vijay Sir and respected Haresh Sir were called up on the stage as it was the turn of the biggest announcement of the evening. As they announced the runner up winners: Shivam House, and the BIG WINNERS of the year – Sundaram House, the entire hall was filled with voices of joy of the students and teachers alike. Sundaram House representatives came forward to receive the glittering trophy of the year.

Throughout the year, many people from different segments of the school contributed immensely to make the year successful and enjoyable for the students. So it was only fair that on behalf of the students someone would deliver a vote of thanks. Being the head boy of the school as well as the role model for all the students, this responsibility was bestowed upon Sachinbhai Verlekar. During his speech, Sachinbhai thanked the school management, principal sir, all academic teachers, sports teachers, house masters, didis hospitality staff and security team for their love and affection throughout the year. He showed maturity beyond years as he completed a very touching speech.

The ceremony then ended with aarti of Thakorji. The academic year 2013-14 may have come to a near end but the memories of this historic year will remain in the memories of the students and teachers for many years to come.

Written by: VINAMRA AND SMIT (GRADE 8)