Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Springdale Academy de International - Annual Day

I was invited to be Chief Guest at the Annual Day of the Springdale Academy de International school which has its branches in the Dilsukhnagar part of town. They have 3 branches, one at Tirumala Hills, B.N.Reddy Nagar and Maruti Nagar. This is their 3rd year and they have already grown into a 400 odd student school going right up to the 9th class. The function was held at the Babu Jagjivan Ram auditorium, Kothapet and was to start at 5 p.m.

I reached slightly late due to a breakdown in the car that was to pick me up. By the time me and Bhavani Shankar, Harsha's colleague from Powergrid who was instrumental in inviting me for the function, reached the place it was 630 p.m. But the children were really cute dressed in their costumes and so well rehearsed that they sang, danced, recited almost flawlessly. So good and so happy were they that you really wanted to take them home with you.

After a few programs they invited us on the stage and there were the mandatory speeches which must have bored the hell out of the parents and the kids but we tried to keep it short and also passably important for the function. The message the similar - dream high, go after your goals and work hard. Which they already seemed to be doing. And then there was a large round of prizes to be distributed to all the winners in academics and sports from first to ninth.

After the ceremony we got off the stage and witnessed some more rousing performances by the children, all  looking so divine. Equally happy and satisfied were the staff and management as the function went on smoothly with each program better than the next. Dances, tabla and keyboard recitals, songs, recitation - it was really fantastic. And unlike in most schools promoted by NRI promoters the main promoter Shri Raghu's daughter was studying in this same school and not some elite school faraway.

Springdale is clear about giving holistic education to its students and it was very evident in all their activities today. They are also committed, caring and loving towards their children. It has been ranked 20th in an All India survey by India Today and 6th in the state as schools likely to be thought leaders which is a huge achievement already. They also have a tie up with a US based system which improves the quality of knowledge transfer to the children from the teachers. It was really heartwarming to see the joy, the happiness, the beauty of all the kids and the teachers and I really had to tear myself away. If Shobha had not been down with a ear infection I would have stayed the length of the program. I really meant it when i thanked Bhavani Shankar for inviting me and making my evening so pleasurable.

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