Founder's Day 2023 - 2024
Monday, 12th June 2023 was a memorable occasion which commemorated NPS International Chennai entering the tenth year since its inception. The first major event of the school year, the Founder’s Day Celebration, was held with great ceremony in the school auditorium.
The Chief Guest for the day was NPS Founder Chairman Dr K P Gopalkrishna. The event was also graced by the presence of Vice Chairperson Dr Bindu Hari and NPS Administrator Mrs Lalitha Das.
The doors to the auditorium were opened at 9:00 AM. Students from Grades 9 to 12 formed the bulk of the audience, along with parents and alumni. The dignitaries arrived at 9:30 AM, marking the official start to the festivities.
The event began with a ceremonial lighting of the lamps followed by an invocation to the almighty. Students from Grades 9 to 11 performed Sharanu Siddhi Vinayaka, composed in the ragam Hameera Kalyani and set to the talam Misra Chapu.
The audience was then treated to two videos capturing the journeys of the Founder Chairman and NPS Perumbakkam. The first captured the growth of the NPS Group of Institutions from a single school in 1959 to the host of sister schools and affiliated organisations which form a part of the NPS Family. The second video presented a series of carefully curated memories of the last 9 years at NPSI Chennai, beautifully capturing moments from classrooms, events, competitions, field trips, stage presentations and more.
The opening remarks were made by Principal of NPS International Chennai, Ms. Sudha Balan, Ms. Balan welcomed the Chief Guest, dignitaries and parents, making a special mention of Dean Dr Santamma Gopalkrishna. She underlined the commitment to excellence and holistic development of students which forms the backbone of the school and enumerated the ways in which the NPSI environment offers opportunities and support for the students. She ended by inviting the Founder Chairman to accept a token of appreciation handed over by Mrs. Lalitha Das and requested him to share his wisdom with the audience.
Dr K P Gopalkrishna began by speaking of the legacy of the NPS group, pointing out that the ten years of NPS Perumbakkam was in truth a span of 63 years. His address focused on the importance of teachers, the need to build one’s personal identity, and his future plans for the school. He encouraged the students to make every use of the opportunities in front of them and expressed his confidence in their success. He requested the parents to support him in attracting top quality educators to the field by ensuring that the status of teachers was improved in the future.
The Chairman’s address was fittingly followed by a song celebrating the importance of the Guru in everyone’s life. Gurulekha Etuvanti, composed in Ragam Gowrimanohari and set to Khanda Chapu Talam, was performed by students of Grades 9 to 11. Following this was the first in a series of messages from Principals and Administrators from the various sister schools in order of their establishment. First came messages from NPS Rajajinagar and NPS Gopalapuram. Three Grade 12 students stood at the podium to share their experiences and thank the school for the support and opportunities they were given. J S Aparna, C Gurucharan and Shrenika Raj shared personal tales of struggle and triumph, thanking the teachers and Principal in helping them along their journey.
Next came a beautifully choreographed dance showcasing the physical skills of students from Grades 9 to 11. Dhanashree Thillana, composed by Maharaja Sri Swathi Thirunal, is set to Adi talam. The dance was followed by messages from NPS Indiranagar, National Academy For Learning (or NAFL), and NPS Koramangala.
Two parents took to the stage to praise and thank the school for its role in their children’s lives – Harini Ramesh, the parent of Ananya Ramesh in Grade 10 and Aditya Ramesh in Grade 6 and Saranya Karthik, the parent of Maya Sara Karthik in Grade 8 and Mira Sara Karthik of Grade 4. Both parents praised the foresight of the Founder and the vision of the Principal.
Students of Grades 9 to 11 then performed the song ‘The Climb’ by Miley Cyrus, underlining the idea that one of the most valuable lessons we can learn is perseverance in the face of challenge. This was followed by the final set of messages from NPS HSR, NPS Mysore, NAFL Urbana and Global Montessori Centre (GMC) Chennai.
Two alumni of the school then stepped up to share their own thoughts on the occasion. Harini Manikumar, a graduate of 2021 and currently pursuing her 3rd year of Electrical and Communication Engineering at NIT Trichy, spoke about the memories made and the skills mastered. The second speaker was former school prefect Pranav Krishna, a graduate of the 2021-22 batch and currently in his 2nd year of Politics and International studies at the University of Warwick as a merit Global Excellence scholar.
The speeches for the day were brought to a close with the address by Vice Chairperson Dr Bindu Hari. She began with a charming exercise to get the audience to their feet, after which she addressed the gathering. Dr Bindu reiterated the School Vision, reminding the students and parents in the audience of what the school wished for each student to achieve – to be socially responsible, independent, knowledgeable, lifelong learners and leaders. She pointed out that success was not a simple thing to achieve and that courage was something which existed only in the presence of vulnerability. She shared her admiration of the Founder Chairman and praised the dedication of Principal Ms. Sudha Balan in her commitment to education. She ended by wishing all the students the very best.
The Vote of Thanks brought the festivities to an end. The programme was concluded with the National Anthem before the dignitaries and audience made their way out of the auditorium.
