It was an afternoon of catching up with former classmates and reminiscing for the alumni of Vidyodaya Schools, who got together on campus on Saturday.
To mark the golden jubilee of their passing out, students from the 1970 batch of the Vidyodaya School, endowed two awards, worth ₹2 lakh.
In honour of the school’s founder, Mrs. E.S. Appasamy, the Swarnam Appasamy Memorial Award for Service and Sacrifice was announced. It will carry a cash prize of ₹5,000.
The Vimala Appasamy Memorial Award for Service and Sacrifice, in the name of Vimala Appasamy, who was the headmistress when the batch of 1970 was in school, was also announced, with a cash prize of ₹5,000.
The awards will recognise students of Class XII from Vidyodaya Schools, who reflect the spirit of volunteerism, one of the school’s undying principles; display consistent academic merit; and show respect to teachers.
The endowment cheques were handed over to Nandita Krishnan, the correspondent of the school.
Dedicated alumni
“The institution has evolved over several decades, but our spirit remains the same. The alumni of the school have always been interested in the growth and improvement of the school, and work closely with us,” said Ms. Krishnan.
The 1970 batch planted a mango sapling on campus. A memory book created by Amita Shenoi, a student of the 1970 batch, was also released on the occasion. “The book has 31 students sharing their memorable experiences in school, nostalgia and their journeys through life. We hope that it will help us get to know our classmates better and bring us closer as alumni,” she said.
Bhavani Raghunandan, an alumnus of the school from the same batch, said that Mrs. Vimala Appasamy had guided them immensely through their time in school. “The school had a ten-minute morning talk during school assembly, where students and teachers would speak about a wide range of subjects, beyond the curriculum. We learnt so much about the world and our experiences in school helped us imbibe life skills,” she said.
