The Monthly Newsletter & School Blog of the Gandhi Ashram School, Kalimpong
April & May 2023 Newsletter
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Post the Easter break, Jenny Cafiso, Executive Director and Juan Emilio Hernandez, International Programs Coordinator of the Canadian Jesuits International visited us. Sr. Ann Stevens SJC, General Councillor of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Cluny also visited us.
We also has the Inauguration of the Campus road by the GTA Chairman Anit Thapa, Accompanied by MLA Ruden Lepcha, Municipality Chairperson Rabi Pradhan, Councillors. The GTA has promised a football ground for the school.
Our Music Team worked along with Belgian conductor, Rozemarijn Vanwijnsberghe to present the ‘Hope Concert’ with over 170 students in the chorus and orchestra, performing extracts from the Oratorio ‘Heavens’ by young beligan composer, Philippe Lamouris, in multiple languages, drawing from spiritual traditions of the world. It was truly the most modern repertoire that the team ever performed and the students rose up to the challenge in style.
We kickstarted our Annual Interdisciplinary Project, ‘Our Common Home; Our Shared Future’ on Earth Day. We will mark World Environment Day as culmination. A Dance Musical with the School Chorus and Orchestra as well as an exhibition by students, staff and parents as well as the Seeds of Hope and Action (SOHA) Exhibition in collaboration with Bharat Soka Gakkai will be presented on Sat, June 3.
As part of the Project, our Classes 8,9,10 and Staff participated in the 3-day Nature in Art Festival organised by the Himalayan Trust for Natural History Art in Pudung with many exhibitions, workshops and activities. We also gave a workshop ‘Music inspires Art; Art inspires Music’, with the nature theme. It was well received.
We invited two actors visiting from Uruguay to present their show, ‘Rio: Khola’ at the school teaching the children the importance of water. Two staff members attended their 5-day training and they also conducted a workshop for our Class 10 students. Drama truly brought out the hidden qualities of our students.
We have also been presenting Class assemblies on the topic and approaching the project through various subjects. The parents body received a workshop on Zero-Waste Village and Zero-Waste Campus’ by Kamlesh Rai from Darjeeling.
Taking the School Year Theme ‘We Build Each Other’ forward, we have launched a year-long project ‘Adolescent Life SKills Education and Staff Capacity Building’ with Naveen Jhajharia.
We had encouraging outcomes from the Madhyamik exams. All 26 of our students except 2 did well at the Madhyamik exams. One of our girls stood third in St. Philomena’s School. 3 disqualified candidates from last year passed this year.
The English and Nepali Teams organised Tug-O-Words, our Inter House Debates.
The Class 9 and 10 students appeared for their Trimester 1 Written Evaluations. We bid farewell to our dear Fr. Binod Kerketta SJ for his new stage of formation and future ministry.
We have had two very eventful months. We had the investiture ceremony for our Student Council
The highlight of the month was the culmination of our Annual Interdisciplinary Project - ‘Our Common Home; Our Shared Future’ that marked World Environment Day. The project itself was primarily inspired by our Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’ and the 4th Universal Apostolic Preference of the Society of Jesus, passionately pursued by our Director, Fr. Paul D’Souza SJ. Both, very strongly placing humans at the centre of the crisis - acknowledging that we are part of the problem and inviting us to be part of the solution. The Dance Musical organised by our Music & the Arts Team, showcased dance, movement pieces, a mime routine, choral and orchestral works - I am the Earth by Gyln Lehmann and Prakriti by the Nepali band, The Shadows. These were all based on the theme assigned to each class from LKG to Class 10. The Seeds of Hope and Action Exhibition of the Bharat Soka Gakkai was inaugurated by Mrs. Rajni Tshering, a senior member of the BSG in Kalimpong and retired teacher o...
Our School Chorus performed ‘The Mountains Are Calling, Are We Really Listening’ composed by our Assistant Director Virgil Vihaan Sequeira and Music Facilitator Shubam Biswakarma, commissioned by the Himalayan Institute of Goodwill and Living Ethics at the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Darjeeling to commemorate 100 years of Russian painter & philosopher Nicholas Roerich in Darjeeling Hills as well as the 70th year of reaching the summit of Mount Everest. The Chief Guest, Member of Parliament for Darjeeling, Mr. Raju Bista appreciated the performance and the strong message. Hayden Hall Institute very warmly welcomed the chorus for lunch. As we drew towards the end of the school year 2023, we conducted summative assessments (Term 2 Written Evaluations) and the ASER Test - English and Nepali Literacy Skills and Arithmetic Skills as Endline for 2023 and Baseline for 2024. 141 students received School level Awards at Appreciation Day , this time, new monetary awards in...
Full Ceremony Video Below The Ceremony in pictures The Student Council escorts Fr. Paul & Fr. Santy to the gathering Fr. Paul, Fr. Santy & Br. Gilbert are welcomed The GASOrchestra & GASChorus perform Karl Jenkins' Adiemus (from Songs of Sanctuary) Sr. Veronica Lepcha SJC leads the gathering in prayer followed by the gathering singing Jacques Sevin SJ's Prayer For Generosity The Assistant Director & outgoing Principal, Virgil Vihaan Sequeira emcees the event Fr. Paul lights the candles Fr. Santy lights the candles Monica Mothay, our seniormost lady teacher garlands Fr. Paul with a Phago Rip Sa Lyaak Fr. Paul addresses the gathering as the outgoing Director Vivian Yonzone, our seniormost male teacher garlands Fr. Paul with a Phago Rip Sa Lyaak Fr. Santy accepts a violin from our outgoing Director, Fr. Paul as a symbol of the core of our mission at Gandhi Ashram School - Music as a tool for transformation Fr. Santy accepts the portrait of our dear f...
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