Journalism of Courage
As St Mary’s School completes 145 years on December 17,members of the Old Girls Association of the school gear up to celebrate their bond with the institute and with each other
They remember their school – St Mary’s School,Camp – as a quaint little stone building with a sprawling campus and a vibrant bunch of young students. Now,the boundaries of the school have extended and girls are more academically bent due to the cut-throat competition, feel the alumni. But the legacy of the school has been carried forward well. As the school completes 145 years of service on December 17,the Old Girls Association (OGA) of St Mary’s School has planned an evening of modest celebrations.
In 1942,St Mary’s School was under the Nuns of the Community of St Mary’s,The Virgin (CSMV). We took the Senior Cambridge examination. In 1977,Elizabeth Mathew took over the administration when the nuns went back to England, recalls 78-year-old Devadawson who was a music teacher at the school later. Despite the change in administration,the standards of the school were always well-maintained,points out D’Costa. Even though more competition crept into the system of education over the years,the quality of teaching and learning at the school was never compromised. That has made us what we are today, Devadawson says. Vora seconds her and adds,I owe everything to my alma mater.
Students who have passed out from the school in the last three decades have been witness to the progress of the institute. Academics and extra-curriculum activities are given equal importance now. It is a good way to keep up with the demands of the society,” feels Vakil.
The OGA community,with a large number of ex-students as members,has been active through social networking sites. OGA helped us re-establish our bond. School friends will always be close to one’s heart no matter how old we grow, Devadawson says with a smile. And it is this friendship that will be celebrated on December 17.
