Hello friends, at last we have a new website: www.stmarysssc.org . Let us make this as inter-active as possible in the interest of the better education of our boys.
We thank Almighty God for His blessings, especially for the High Court judgement in our favour. I am grateful to our committed staff for their efforts to enhance the all-round education at St Mary’s.
The year was filled with activities. Elocution / Quiz / Singing competitions were held in English, Hindi and Marathi with different boys participating. National Days were celebrated with deep feeling for the country highlighting our unity in diversity. Children’s Day and Christmas Party were fun-filled days with enjoyable games, gifts, snacks and Santa Claus. The PTA & boys expressed their appreciation to our hard working & dedicated staff on Teacher’s Day. This year the PTA initiated the project of improving drinking water facilities for our boys. I thank our Ex-Students for maintaining the school website and organizing the annual Ex-Teachers Gathering.
Sports is an integral part of St Mary’s. The new cricket pitch was inaugurated this year. Our U – 14 cricket team reached the finals of the Giles Shield and entered the Elite Group. All credit goes to our coach Mr Arun Patil. Our football, basketball and swimming teams performed well and this coming year we will introduce table-tennis, badminton, chess and carrom. The Sports Camp in April and May will help develop stamina and hone the skills of our budding sportsmen. For all this we need the support and co-operation of our parents.
Other highlights during the year were the Talk by Dr Elaine Charles to students/parents of Std X, the Parenting Workshop by Dr Tushar Guha, the Primary Exhibition, the National level project by the Eco-Club, the visit of tribal students to the school, the N.I.E. /AVEC value education programme and the various Competitions held in and outside the school.
During the year we bade farewell to Mr Kevin Noronha who left us to become the Head Master of St Joseph’s High School, Colaba. We wish him every success in his new appointment.
A sincere ‘Thank You’ to our Supervisor Mrs Emmy Fernandes for putting her heart and soul into every school activity and motivating the staff and students to do their best. With the help of the School Captains and Leaders she maintains discipline and organized successful Canteen Days.
One of the chief values of Education lies in this, that it forms in our minds certain definite standards for judging what is really true and beautiful. Education steadies the mind and keeps it free from Fundamentalism and Communalism. We learn to respect and appreciate other religions and cultures. The immortal Plato has told us for all time what is the character of true education: it is like a light kindled from a flying spark, which, on entering the soul, finds there its own fuel. We can all think thoughts that are true, we can cherish ideas that are noble, we can form opinions that are just and beautiful. While we nourish our physical bodies, we must nourish our minds and spiritual faculties. Else they will atrophy or sink into restless slumber and we become dull and stupid. Proper education makes us bright, happy and more and more intelligent.
The great task of Education is to rouse the human spirit from its torpor and to confront it with the majesty of Life, forcing it to think and to feel, forcing it to wake to a keen sense of gratitude. Life must be felt as a Blessing if it is to produce anything splendid and worthwhile.
Finally, a word of gratitude to our school Patroness ‘Mother Mary’ for her constant guidance and protection. I wish each one of you a refreshing and enjoyable Summer Vacation. Almighty God has showered us with so many blessings, we must share those blessings with others. Students, parents, staff and management must feel that it is our responsibility to help build a Good Society and a Better World !
Fr Baptist Pinto s.j.
Principal