GOOD SHEPHERD INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL Good Shepherd Knowledge Village M. Palada Post, Ootacamund - 643 004, The Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu, India Visit us @ www.gsis.ac.in | www.gsfs.ac.in October 2016 | Volume 6 | Issue 3 Founder’s Day Éclat The Chief Guest, Mr T S Krishnamurthy, Former Chief Election Commissioner of India, along with the Principal, Senior Vice President and Vice President of GSIS With excitement galore among the shepherds and sheep of the Good Shepherd International School, the day dawned bright and glorious. The morning hours evoked the blessings of the Almighty with a grateful heart and thankful lips at the chapel. The Reverend priests blessed the day and brought to remembrance how the heaven is also glad at the Founder Dr P C Thomas who has redefined what it means to be an educationist. Dispelling ignorance in the field of Musical Presentations The Chief Guest being escorted to the auditorium The Chief Guest, Mr T S Krishnamurthy, along with the Principal, The School Choir singing the School Prayer Song Senior Vice President, Vice President and Senior Vice Principal (Administration) of GSIS education is no mere feat! At the conclusion of the mass, all the staff assembled at the grandly decorated dining hall. The multi-tiered fruit cake was cut by the Principal, Dr P C Thomas, amidst heartfelt birthday toasts of Mrs Sheila Alexander and Brig. Suresh Kumar (Retd). But the moving speech of Dr Thomas touched every heart. The evening was glittering with all the tiny lamps as well as the stars above, which was well-reflected in the gorgeous costumes of every Shepherdian. They waited with bated breath to showcase their talents on the stage. As the sun travelled beyond the hills of Ooty, our Chief Guest of the day, Mr T S Krishnamurthy, the Former Chief Election Commissioner of India, was welcomed with a flurry of musical fanfare. His galvanizing presence added an extra sheen to the glorious forty chapters of the school. A former student of the University of Bath, U.K., he had a well-chequered career. He worked in the Bank of India, Indian Revenue Service and as a Director General of Income Tax (Administration), New Delhi. The melodious rendition of the musical ensemble filled the mountain air with a festive spirit. Be it the symphony orchestra or the choir or the xylophone or the violin orchestra, each one soothed the heart of the audience. The Founder-Principal Dr P C Thomas addressed the gathering giving an insight into the zealous efforts so far. The eminent Chief Guest, Mr T S Krishnamurthy voiced his overwhelmed appreciation of the beautiful programme and the grand march of the progress of the institution. Mrs Julie Pradeesh, the Vice President and Vice Principal of GSIS, offered the vote of thanks. The night further unfurled the talents of the Shepherdians when the sonorous sound of the Big Band Orchestra sounded followed by the classical dance presentation of the Sri Krishna Leela episode. If the Zorba Dance of Greek origin left everyone mesmerized then the Light and Dark Presentation of the tiny ones left everyone bereft of words. The evening grandeur was concluded with a Finale of the School Choir. This evening was only possible because of the tireless effort of Mr Stuart Bower and Mrs Joy Bower and their team. The sumptuous dinner was a grand buffet which left all satiated. 2 Parents, guardians and other guests seated in the auditorium The Symphony Orchestra The Middle School Choir Pooja Dance The Junior School Choir The following day was adorned with the golden sheen of the sunlight. The children were dressed fabulously in their respective uniforms. At the arrival of Mr T S Krishnamurthy, the March Past took place with the General Salute and the Guard of Honour. The band players were eagerly waiting for this day to display their musical prowess. They gave glory to God for His amazing grace and also sang paeans to the motherland by playing the tune of ‘Sare jahaan se achcha’, with children of all sections filling the green ground with the Indian tricolour. The drummers with their rhythmic beats gave a lilt to our hearts. The tiny tots of the Fernhill Campus, as usual, filled our hearts with elation, as they so wonderfully frolicked around the green grass in such matchless coordination. Living among the blue hills has made the Shepherdians acquire finesse for mountaineering. They demonstrated their skills as all eyes were turned upward. The budding gymnasts of our school enthralled us with numerous vaults, splits and pyramid formation and finally, jumping through the ring of fire. There was a splendid presentation of Indian music with various musical instruments. Then the majestic horses with our valiant horse-riders displayed their show jumping skills. The day also had a taste of African drumbeats of djembe drumming with a fine blend of Latin American and Brazilian influence which the students played with their bare hands. 3 The Brass Ensemble Junior School Dance Strings Orchestra The Principal, Dr P C Thomas, addressing the guests The Chief Guest, Mr T S Krishnamurthy, speaking on the occasion Expression of Gratitude by the Vice President, Mrs Julie Pradeesh The day concluded with the Principal extending a warm gratitude to all the guests. The Chief Guest, expressing his appreciation and wonder at such versatility of the Shepherdians, gave away the prizes to the high scorers and top rankers in this year’s board examinations. Mrs Elsamma Thomas, Senior Vice President, expressed the vote of thanks and the glittering day came to an end with the national anthem. The grand celebration of the Fortieth Founder’s Day came to a close with the joyous children, leaving for home for their mid-term break. 4 The Big Band of GSIS performing in the auditorium Students performing Sri Krishna Leela, a Classical Dance Drama Woodwind Ensemble Our boys and girls performing Zorba Dance Students performing ‘Magic Cups,’ a song presentation Light and Dark presentation 5 The Senior Choir singing the School Anthem Dinner for parents, guardians and other guests in the school dining hall The Chief Guest, Mr T S Krishnamurthy, taking salute from the The Principal in conversation with the Chief Guest various contingents March past of the Sea Cadet Corps contingent 6 March past of the Brass Band Band Display by the Brass and Pipe Bands Students of Fernhill Campus dancing to the tunes of songs 7 Display of mountaineering skills A student performing a somersault during the Gymnastics display A revisit to their alma mater: Old Shepherdians at GSIS Indian Music Ensemble Equestrian display Students performing Djembe drumming 88 The Principal, Dr P C Thomas, addressing the parents and other guests Inauguration of the indoor shooting range Parikshit Vikkas Ganeriwal receiving the Elsamma Thomas Gold Students of Summer House with the Cock House Shield Medal Words of Appreciation by the Chief Guest, Mr T S Krishnamurthy Expression of Gratitude by the Senior Vice President 9 EducationWorld India School Rankings Awards (EWISRA) 2016 Recognising Excellence: The Founder-Principal of GSIS, Dr P C EducationWorld’s Dilip Thakore and Educomp’s Shantanu Prakash Thomas and Mrs Julie Pradeesh receiving the Best International with Dr Thomas wholly Residential School Award from Swiss Learning’s Christophe Clivaz For his extraordinary contribution to globally-benchmarked international education in India and nurturing the Good Shepherd International School to provide holistic education, the Founder-Principal of GSIS, Dr P C Thomas, has been conferred with the Lifetime Achievement in Education Leadership 2016 Award with special citation by EducationWorld, a leading education news magazine. Good Shepherd International School was named the Best International wholly Residential School in India by the EducationWorld India School Ranking in 2016 league tables published in September 2016. The school is also ranked No. 1 in the parameters of Co-curricular Education, Individual Attention to Students, Life-skills Education & Conflict Management, Pastoral Care and Infrastructure Provision. The EducationWorld India School Rankings Awards (EWISRA) 2016 was organised at the Leela Ambience, Gurgaon, on Friday, 23 September 2016, where the awards were presented to Dr Thomas. The Annual Education World India School Rankings were awarded based on a survey conducted by Education World, the education news magazine and Centre for Forecasting and Research, a Delhi-based research organization. The purpose behind the nationwide market research survey was to rate and rank India’s most respected and admired schools. Dr Thomas is also inducted into the EducationWorld Hall of Fame of Indian Education. We congratulate Dr Thomas on reaching another important milestone in his journey to achieve excellence in education. The school management is grateful for all the contributions made by the staff members, parents and students in making this possible. 10