Good morning, Sr. Antonette, sisters of the community, respected teachers, dear parents and my dear friends. It is truly an honor to be standing her today on this special day that will no doubt leave an imprint on our minds.
As I look at our school that has been our home for past 12 years, I cannot help but swallow the tears as the memories that we created in all these years get rekindled…the sound of little footsteps and giggles as we entered this building for the first time, dressed in pink with bows in our hair. The sound of little girls laughing and crying while the teacher welcomed them with a forever warm smile. We fought over silly reasons, only to walk to our buses hand in hand just fifteen minutes later.
Before we knew it, we were walking down the three steps to Std. I. It was all so new, all so fresh. Now we can finally look onto the preprimary girls and call them ‘girlies’. We felt so big, so grown up, to be able to sit with the big didis for lunch.
We dressed up as little saplings and seeds for our annual days, ran with hoops and spoons and lemons for our sports day. Time passed at a snail’s pace. Tears rolled down our cheeks when our friends were taken to a different class but the tears quickly evaporated as soon as we met again in the break.
Then came high school, we tripped and fell, but we always got up. Our books grew thicker, our interests changed. We all went from books to looks. Then the pandemic hit. The day it was announced that school would be shut for two weeks was the happiest day of our sixth grade, as it meant no exams that year. I remember telling my friend, “See you on Monday!”
That Monday came two years later…
Time passed in the blink of an eye. Online teaching and learning were a challenge. But then we marched into Standard VIII for the last few weeks. We began to take part in choirs, debates, competitions, winning for our houses and we felt elated and proud when the seniors acknowledged us. The interschool matches, of athletics, cross-country, hockey and football were the true moments of Josephite unity.
Our ninth grade had enough entertainment for a few lifetimes. We developed a strong bond with each other and our seniors.
The best time for Std. IX was when we were preparing a farewell for our seniors. The hall was our home. I remember it so well. That was honestly the best time of the entire year.
And then rolled into our lives the dreaded sentence, “ten months for Boards.”
Before we could blink, it was our last Annual day. We fought, lost friends, made friends, created new memories, painted our faces and danced. Even before the flashes of the cameras of that day had died down, we were preparing our Independence Day programme, dressed up in traditional kurtis, followed by the unforgettable teachers’ day.
But before the next exam rolled in to upset our sleep schedules, there was one thing that we had been looking forward to since, we stepped into high school. Goa! And before we knew it, we were on the sandy beaches of Goa and it was everything we had dreamed it would be. Those three days passed so fast. We danced in the bus, we sang our hearts out, formed memories that will surely last a lifetime, forever etched in our minds.< Sports day was nothing short of a battlefield. Each girl fighting for her house till the last drop of energy. The competitive spirit and excitement that gripped the hearts of all present. And finally, here we are. Parting is inevitable. This year we leave our beloved school. I cannot leave without thanking every single person who has helped us get here. A big thank you to our Principal Sr. Antonette and all the sisters of the community for giving us an opportunity to be a part of the story here at ST. Joseph. All my unforgettable teachers, those present here and those who have moved on from our school; thank you for all your efforts. All the wonderful kaka’s and didis; always so efficient and resourceful. A special thank you to our dear parents. You all are the reason we are able to stand here with you today. I also want to extend the biggest thank you to the student council who has played a massive role in my life for these past two years. I want to thank the Almighty Father for all the blessings he has showers upon us for the past 12 years and for the gift of today. Thank you for letting us write our own stories and guiding us whenever we stumbled. To all our friends of Std. IX, I would like to leave you with an inspiring quote, “Don’t work so your presence is felt; Perform so your absence is noticed.” We are armed with your blessings and everything you have instilled in us for the past 12 years. We came into school with empty books and enthusiastic minds, we leave with hearts full or gratitude and tearful eyes, and a million memories. Let us hear it one last time for the batch of 2023-2024! Thank you and have a wonderful day. Siya Nigavekar – X A