Mr. & Mrs. C. Pais, Ladies and Gentlemen,
With outstretched arms I welcome you all and in particular you, Mr. & Mrs. C. Pais. In you, Mr. Clary Pais, we have a characteristic old boy — a true Aloysian — one faithful to God and faithful to duty, in the service of man. It is needless to express in words our joy at having an old boy and parent to preside at his own School Day.
The year of report, 1975–76, was one full of life and activity. Very briefly here is the report, underlining only the special features with a few comments.
Strength: The strength in all the three departments was 1741, distributed as follows: Primary 449, Middle 564, High School 728. There was physically no room to admit more.
Staff: Perhaps never in the history of this school so many retired in a single year. Five experienced members of the staff bowed to the decision of the Government that teachers should retire at 55. The loss was all ours and we have still to recover from it. Though qualified teachers have taken their place, no qualification can breach the gap of experience.
Miss C. Fernandes retired after 32 years of teaching experience. She was indeed a mother to the kids of the Primary Section. Mr. F. D’Souza of the Middle School Section retired after 25 years of quiet, steady teaching; Kannada was his forte.
Mr. S. I. Saldanha retired from the High School after having conscientiously and efficiently taught English and Social Studies for 34 years. Mr. K. R. Tantri taught the State language, Kannada, efficiently and humorously too, for 20 years.
Mr. P. D’Souza, an experienced Art Master, after having taught students the finer touches of painting and drawing for 36 years, retired. Mr. L. Sequeira retired from the Crafts Section after having tirelessly taught mechanics for 20 years.
Mr. John Pinto, who had mastered the technique of office files, shifted his loyalty from the High School Office to the College Office. Sri Paul Pereira retired after patiently working in the garden for 28 years. We publicly say a big “thank you” to them.
Rev. Fr. G. F. D’Souza, S.J., was the acting Headmaster of the Middle School for nine months in the absence of Fr. H. Noronha.
Mrs. Gladys Lobo (Primary Section), Mr. D. Poojary B.A., B.Ed., Mr. Gopal Krishna Bhat B.Sc., B.Ed., Sarvajnachar B.A., B.Ed., and A. Nazeer Ahmed B.Sc., B.Ed., stepped in to fill the gaps and efficiently adjusted themselves to the educational needs of the time. Sri Vincent Fernandes is the new gardener.
Results: The results are on par with the high standards of the past years and, though not a sure criterion of educational standard, they speak well of the institution, its staff and students.
In the District Level VIII Standard, we obtained 96% (169/179). In the S.S.L.C., 94.47% (222/234) with 66 in the first and 81 in the second class.
Vinaya Kumar Venkata Rao Prabhu stood first in the school and 7th rank in the State, with Chandrakanth B. and Ravi Raj following with IX and XIth ranks. Seven of our students merited National Merit Scholarships for further studies. Our congratulations to them and their parents.
Sports and Games: Our intra-mural organisation and tournaments in games and sports — Hockey, Basketball, Football, Cricket, Kabadi and Kho-Kho — brought rich dividends. They trained participants in moral and physical development and secured many coveted trophies, namely the District Level Cricket Trophy and the Inter-School Hockey Shield of the South Kanara Hockey Association.
Our grounds were the venue of the South Kanara District Schools Annual Sports Meet. It was a pleasure to host hundreds of athletes and their admirers. However, our athletes did not come up fully to our expectations.
Co-curricular Activities: Our Interact Club organised a Monsoon Tournament in Table Tennis, with participation from nine schools. Our singers excelled in inter-school music competitions, consistently winning championships including the Junior Chamber Inter-School Music Competition, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan competitions, Ashok Athletics XVIII Inter-School Music Competitions, and the Interact Club of St. Aloysius High School Music Competitions.
We congratulate in particular Chandrakanth B. for vocal solo singing, K. S. Venkatesh Murthy for instrumental classical music, and Allan Lobo for Western solo singing.
Our scientists also distinguished themselves. After securing second place at the Mercara Regional Science Exhibition, they won first place at the State Science Fair in Bangalore. Master Anupam Agarwal (VIII Std.) was awarded first place for his model “Automatic Pooja” and received a scholarship of Rs. 50/- per month for the rest of his High School studies.
UNESCO Club: The UNESCO Club remained ever active. The work of its members at their adopted village of Ranipur was appreciatively commented upon in the Paris Bulletin of UNESCO in France. Regular quizzes and General Knowledge tests were conducted to keep students informed.
The Social Service League continued its “Help Your Neighbour” programme, focusing on the needs of the less privileged.
N.C.C.: The three wings of the NCC — Army, Navy and Air — remained in trim under their officers Sri I. A. Kairanna, K. Manjappayya and Air J. R. D’Leema. The Navy and Air wings received special praise as the best units in the District.
To strengthen spiritual life, special get-togethers were held for students of VIII, IX and X standards. Moral Science classes and staff seminars guided students in forming strong character. National Days like Independence Day and Republic Day were celebrated to inculcate patriotism.
P.T.A.: I cannot think of the Parent Teacher Association without deep gratitude for their understanding and cooperation. Their support in raising the Primary and Middle School buildings stands as a magnificent reminder of what unity can achieve.
As I close, my thoughts return to the beginning of this report — today’s President is an Old Boy. Our line of Old Boys stretches 96 years and soon will reach a hundred. With the coming centenary, we plan to compile a “Who’s Who” of our Old Boys to record their journeys and guide our educational system to the needs of the times.
Conclusion: I thank Mr. & Mrs. Pais for presiding over this function and thank one and all for your cooperation and presence.
Today, 15th January, our Father General Pedro Arrupe celebrates the Golden Jubilee of his religious life. We join the Jesuits worldwide in wishing him God’s blessings and record with gratitude his solicitude and care for us all.
May the good God bless you all.
L. Pinto, S.J.
Headmaster
Mangalore,
15-1-1977