Messengers of Peace And Harmony

On the 24th of January, 2018, amidst thunderous applause, the Josephite guard of Honour welcomed the Chief Guests for the Annual Day: Dr. Vidyasagar Ramappa (Old Boy) and Mrs. Aarti Ramappa, the Guests of Honour Mayor Mr. Sampath Raj and Mrs. Kavitha Sampath Raj and the Rector of St. Joseph’s Institutions Rev. Fr. Anthony Joseph SJ. They were escorted by our Principal Rev. Fr. Clifford Sequeira SJ, Primary Administrator Rev. Fr. Robert Rodrigues SJ and Vice Principal Mrs. Miriam Angelo. Alongside the Management were the Vice President of the PTA Mr. Srinivas Vardha, Vice President of the OBA Mr. Jyothinath Ganguly and member of the managing committee of the OBA Mrs. Nandita Chandrashekar.

The programme commenced with the lighting of the lamp – the universal symbol of truth, knowledge and understanding. The invocation song followed called on the Almighty to bless and guide, guard and protect the gathering of students and their teachers, parents, grandparents, siblings as well as well-wishers.

The welcome dance by the ISC Girls and the welcome address by Rev. Fr. Robert urged the audience to relax and enjoy the progamme themed ‘Josephites – messengers of Peace and Harmony.’

Fr. Rector in his speech called on the students to have fun as the day was a celebration of their talents, strengths, co-operation and competition, quickness of mind, beauty, unity, equality and sense of belonging to the Josephite family. The Chief Guest Dr. Ramappa, being an Old Boy, recollected his experiences in SJBHS. He advised the parents to prepare their children for life making them independent, helping them to overcome setbacks and accepting both successes and failures. His words were as his father used to say: ‘Don’t make assets for your children – make your child an asset.’

The first citizen of Bengaluru, the Honourable Mayor Sampath Raj, parent and former PTA member of SJBHS, was felicitated with the traditional Mysore Peta and shawl after which he addressed the gathering. He was all praise for the Josephites’ keen sense of comprehension of civic issues such as waste management, garbage segregation, conservation of energy and rain water harvesting. He promised to incorporate a budget for any emails coming from the Josephites making suggestions for a better Bengaluru.

After the Annual Report was read out, there was a cultural programme with fusion music and dance. The ‘Story of Creation’ in contemporary thematic dance form, by the students of Stds 5 to 8 brought to light the values of peace and harmony as opposed to pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath and sloth.The importance of harmonious co-existence through a Dance Musical, by the students of Classes 1 to 4, showcased harmony in the jungle, celebrations across the Indian states and finally the SJBHS initiative to a peace-filled Mother Earth!

As the curtains fell on one more Annual Day, the message that resounded in the serene January air, on the eve of Republic Day, was that the ‘Gen-Next’ Josephites are equipped with the values to serve the country and be ‘Men and Women for others.’