Monday 31 August 2015

HELP -- 2 ::



POOR STUDENTS GET EDUCATION ASSISTANCE

BY P S SUNDAR

As many as 70 students hailing from poor families in different slums of Coimbatore have benefited to the tune of Rs 5.50 lakh, thanks to the fiscal assistance extended for their higher education by World Vision India (WVI), Coimbatore.  

“We will soon be distributing further education assistance worth about Rs 2.50 lakh to about 25 more students”, Programme Manager Vetriselvan John told me.

“By now, we have extended education assistance worth about Rs 1.75 crore to about 2,500 students in Coimbatore and Nilgiris districts”, he added.

“This assistance is given to people living in slum areas and hailing from poor economic background for pursuing job-oriented higher education like engineering, polytechnic, B.Com CA or IT.  Presently, we give Rs 10,000 for engineering courses Rs 5,000 for other course.  The sum is given every year until the course is completed.   This is to part finance the education cost.  The cheque is drawn directly favouring the college”, Vetriselvan john detailed.


Dr Jemima Vincent, Principal CSI Bishop Appasamy College, Coimbatore, who distributed the assistance to students, urged them to study well and come up in life.

Hailing the service, D P Subramani said that his three wards had received the WVI assistance helping them become graduates. “The fiscal burden of parents is eased significantly when this facility is received”, he noted.

Poovitha, a beneficiary doing BE course said that she was so moved by the gesture that once she gets into earning position, she would also like to extend similar assistance to poor.

Balamurugan, WVI Programme Development Information Co-ordinator and Francis, WVI Technical Lead, co-ordinated the event that created a lasting impact in the lives of poor students desirous of pursing higher education.



(response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com)

Friday 28 August 2015

SCHOOL SPORTS -- 3::

ST JUDE’S BOYS’ HAT-TRICK TO GO TO NATIONALS VOLLEYBALL

BY P S SUNDAR

The Senior Boys’ Volleyball team of St Jude’s Public School and Junior College, Kotagiri, has done a hat-trick by getting selected to represent Tamil Nadu state at National Finals for the third consecutive year in the tournament conducted by Association of Schools for the Indian Certificate Exams (ASISC).


“ASISC conducts Nationals only for Senior Boys division.  At the regional level, it conducts titles for junior divisions as well.  Our Senior Girls, Junior Boys and Senior Boys have won this year’s regional title for the third consecutive year, thereby creating a hat-trick at that stage as well”, St Jude’s Chairman P P Dhanarajan told me after complimenting the students and coaching staff.


“Our students Surekha (senior girls division), Ajayendran (junior) and Arjun and Ajay Aravind (senior boys) were honoured as the Best Players at regional level”, Principal D Saro said.

“Thirteen teams from different parts of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry exhibited their best skill to vie for the regional title”, said retired Tamil Nadu Government’s Additional Chief Secretary Sundaradevan who is President of Nilgiris Volleyball Association. 

The Deputy Commissioner of Income Tax, Ooty, Sabhika Rizvi, who distributed prizes, hailed the professional excellence with which St Jude’s hosted the Regional Tourney and urged the competitors of Nationals, to be held on Oct 26 and 27, to make use of the best opportunity provided at St Jude’s grounds.


(response can also be sent to: pssudnar.coonoor@gmail.com)

Thursday 27 August 2015

AWARD -- 4 ::

ST JUDE’S SELECTED FOR NATIONAL FINAL TCS QUIZ

BY P S SUNDAR

                 St Jude’s Public School and Junior College, Kotagiri, has done a hat-trick by emerging as regional titleholders of the prestigious TCS quiz for the third consecutive year.




“Our students J K Faizan and Sudharsana have done our school and Nilgiris district proud by annexing the title vying with nearly 1,000 students from Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Tirupur and Salem districts in the highly competitive quiz titled ‘TCS IT Wiz’.  The have been selected to represent National Finals to be held in Mumbai or Delhi on Dec 14”, St Jude’s Chairman P P Dhanarajan told me after complimenting the students and staff-coach.



“This team has won prizes worth ` 1.60 lakh including Ipad, Philips Headphone, Pen-drive, Selfie Stick with Bluetooth, laptop bag, flight ticket and stay at Taj hotel for National Finals.   A valuable certificate signed by TCS Chief Executive Officer Chandrasekaran has been given to each”, school Principal D Saro said.


“Although this marks hat-trick being third consecutive win,  our school has won regional title six times in all so far and National Second once”, St Jude’s Director D Samjith added.

(response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com)

Wednesday 19 August 2015

HAPPENING -- 12::

CULTURAL EXTRAVAGANZA AT ST JOSEPH’S

BY P S SUNDAR

The cultural week at 127-year-old St Joseph’s Boys’ Anglo-Indian Higher Secondary School, Coonoor, titled ‘Cynosure 2015’ gave ample opportunity for the students to express themselves. 



“We conducted several on-stage and off-stage competitions separately for mainstream and ICSE courses helping students hone up their latent talents", Principal Bro Ramesh Amalanathan told  me.


“To inspire students, we staged performances by film and TV personalities including Bharath (film actor), Dhanyashree and Hariharasudhan (TV super singers), Anthony Wong (actor and choreographer), Girish (choreographer), Vignesh Raj (artist), Lokesh Dhamu (photographer) and Golcha (singer)”, he said.




















I  declared open the cultural week and distributed prizes to winners in some competitions

          














In my address, I stressed the need for distinguishing a cultural programme from a variety entertainment as the former has specific characteristic, regional contours and grammar although both serve to entertain.  

I also emphasised that the week should end on the recognition that dance, music and drama are not culture by themselves but vehicles taking people to the world of CULTURE which is an abbreviation expanding to Care of the needy (including by organ and body donation), Understanding differences in practices, Love of all, Tradition maintenance, Upholding harmony, Respect for cleanliness and Enriching the world with ecology.



Coonoor municipal Chairman Saravanakumar was a Guest of Honour. 

(response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com). 

Tuesday 18 August 2015

HAPPENING -- 11:

STANES STUDENTS SHOW THE WAY

BY P S SUNDAR

Over 800 residents in Bedford and Sim’s Park area of upper Coonoor have signed a pledge to reduce litter, recycle bio-degradable refuse and reuse possible wastes.

The pledge has been obtained by students of Stanes Anglo-Indian Higher Secondary School which runs a regular campaign ‘Coonoor, Namma Clean Ooru!’.

“We have now launched a strategy called AGE which expands into Assisting, Getting Commitments and Educating people.  Our students assist municipality in picking up litter, get residents commit not to litter and educate residents and tourists through banners, skits, slogan and songs”, Stanes Principal Glenn Croning told me.



In keeping with this, Stanes students, armed with protective gear and metallic pokers, along with municipal sanitary staff cleaned several parts of upper Coonoor.





“Our student groups have been cleaning the town all through the year as part of our mission to make this their way of life and leave lasting impressions on clean society”, Croning added.

(response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com)



Thursday 13 August 2015

HAPPENING -- 10:

STUDENTS VOW TO PROTECT WILD ELEPHANTS

BY P S SUNDAR

                Hundreds of students made ‘World Elephant Day’ on Wednesday special at Reach Matriculation School, Coonoor, by taking oath to protect wild elephants as they have become endangered species. 

“We sensitised students on wild elephants’ behavioural pattern, especially their friendliness so far as people do not irritate them.  Elephants walk about 40 kilometres daily eating food all along, following an established corridor.   When the corridor is blocked with buildings and fences, elephants stray into human habitats and cultivated fields.  People should vow not to disturb elephant corridors”, Coonoor Forest Ranger C Siva told me after presiding over the awareness campaign.

The programme was conducted by Forest Department, Wildlife and Nature Conservation Trust (WNCT) and The Asian Elephant Foundation. 

“We gave audio-visual presentation highlighting wild elephant lifestyle in regard to their habitat, food search and man-animal relationship”, WNCT Founder N Sadiq Ali said.


Reach School Correspondent Periasamy and Principal M Prakasan led the deliberations.


(response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com).