"Learning from a good teacher is an experience that can sometimes be more profound than education itself."

Great teachers are a blessing and a veritable boon. Naturally,when they leave their vocation behind,they leave unforgettable impressions on the minds and the hearts of many generations of grateful students. 22nd April,2022 marked a momentous occasion for the staff and the students of St.Joseph's College, Prayagraj,as they gathered to bid a warm farewell to three outgoing teachers,Mrs.D.Raj, Dr(Mrs.)P .D'Souza and Mrs.A.Singh.

The programme started with the Master of Ceremonies,Yash Goel welcoming the Guest of Honour,Rev.Fr.Stany Michael D'Souza and the honourable guests for the day,as they were being ushered in by the N.C.C.along with the Principal,Rev.Fr.Thomas Kumar,the Vice-Principal,Rev.Fr.Anil Michael, the Headmaster,Rev.Fr.George Medapalli,the Administrator,Mr.A.Mc Gowan and the Staff Coordinator,Mr.J.Dube.Invoking God's blessings,Mrs.S.Chattree read a select excerpt from the Holy Bible and a special prayer.A prayer song gave way to the floral welcome of the Chief Guests and the Guest of Honour by the Principal.Rev.Fr.Stany Michael D'Souza then handed over Excellence in teaching awards to Mr.N.B.Lawrence and Mrs.A.E. Harris,awards earlier given by the United Group of Institutions.Following marchpast by the office bearers of the present session,the College Vice-Captain,Antriksh Johari, expressed his gratitude to all the three teachers for being such stellar examples of selfless dedication.

In her speech,Ms.F.D'Souza,congratulated Mrs.D.Raj, recipient of the prestigious Rev.Fr.Rego Mentor Award,for successful completion of 31 years of excellence in teaching, for giving students a platform through her G.K.Association and motivating students to reach for the stars and also dedicated a poem to her benign and lively presence. Mrs.D.Raj thanked all her Principals, past and present,all her colleagues, her students and all the support staff for contributing to her growth.

Recipient of the prestigious Mahadevi Award, champion of the underprivileged, Dr.(Mrs.)P.D'Souza was next felicitated by Mrs.N.Devi who lauded her for her multifarious contributions.Thanking all her former Principals, colleagues and students, Dr.(Mrs.)P.D'Souza for their appreciation, she expressed the hope that the mantle of L.T.S. Association will be taken up by a selfless soul.

In his speech dedicated to Mrs.A.Singh, Mr.C.Mishra emphasized on the relentless enthusiasm of Mrs.A.Singh and thanked her for inspiring him to be a mentor to all students.

Lovely wishes were showered on all the three teachers through the medium of songs, band performances and of course beautiful flowers.

Thereafter,Mrs.A.Harris congratulated the Guest of Honour,Rev.Fr.Stany Michael D'Souza for successful completion of 50 years of priesthood,thanking him for being a strict administrator yet a humble person.Addressing the retirees,Rev.Fr.Stany Michael D'Souza, blessed them for their wonderful contributions to the cause of education, dwelling on how they have acquired increased vitality through constant interaction with young and impressionable minds.He exhorted students to be focused on their top priority in life: education,beyond the printed word and work for the unity of the motherland.

Fr.Thomas Kumar congratulated Rev.Fr.Stany Michael D'Souza for his Golden Jubilee where the noble vocation of priesthood is concerned, encouraging all present to remember the three watchwords of the former illustrious Principal-discipline, development and dedicated teachers.He urged the students to remember that they should always be true to the life lessons imparted by these wonderful pillars of the institution.

The programme concluded with the singing of the College Anthem.

"Don't cry because it is over,smile because it happened." Dr.Seuss

How do students get inspired to do something extraordinary? Simple. A teacher with extraordinary vision, willing to take extra pains for each and everyone of his/her students, is the reason why students make it big in life.

15th August,2021 marked a doubly memorable occasion for the staff and students of St.Joseph's College, Prayagraj, as they celebrated both the 75th Independence Day and farewell programme for the outgoing staff. It is not everyday that an institution bids farewell to six teachers,Mr.A.Simon,Mr.R.Sharma, Mrs.M.Kujur, Dr. (Mrs.)N.Malaviya, Mrs.K.Goel, Mrs.P.Frederick and specially remember Late Mrs.A.Cutting whom the pandemic unfortunately took away.

Mrs.S.Sebastian,the Mistress of Ceremonies, warmly welcomed the Guests of Honour, extolling their sterling qualities of head and heart. Mrs.M.Paul praised Mr.A.Simon for being a fantastic Blue House Master, leading his house to victory, for always being an amiable teacher, loved by one and all. Mr.A.Simon recalled his three and a half decades of teaching experience which combined with his and his son's schooling in the same hallowed portals, summed up a life well lived. Mrs.R.Gupta then presented a bouquet to Mr.A.Simon.

In her felicitation speech, Mrs.D.Mishra appreciated Mrs.M.Kujur for her maternal love informing every aspect of her dealings with colleagues and children. Mrs.M.Kujur thanked Fr.Thomas for his stewardship and also many teachers by name for adding to the richness of her journey in SJC.She reminded students to never give up trying.Mrs.N.Devi then presented a bouquet to Mrs.M.Kujur.

Subsequent to a performance by the College Band under the guidance of Mr.D.Naik, Mrs.R.Shukla, lauded Mrs.P.Frederick for her dedication all through her 33 years of service. A soft-spoken teacher, she has never let adversity of any sort affect her commitment to the cause of education. Mrs.P.Frederick, having worked under two principals with the same first name Rev.Fr.Thomas, felt her life to have truly come full circle. She thanked everyone for their cooperation. Dr.(Mrs.)P.D.Souza felicitated Mrs.P.Frederick with a beautiful bouquet.

It was now the turn of Sheersh Moses to deliver a beautiful patriotic song and then of Mr.S.B.Rai to appreciate Mr.R.Sharma for his sound knowledge of the subject, cheerful demeanor and being a great colleague.In his typical self-effacing way, Mr.R.Sharma ,thanked everyone for their wonderful cooperation all over the years.Mr.N.B.Lawrence then presented a lovely bouquet to Mr.R.Sharma.

Mr.J.Joseph in his speech on Dr.(Mrs.)N.Malaviya, his former teacher-cum-colleague, waxed eloquent on the best teaching techniques employed by Dr.(Mrs.)N.Malaviya. Even the most complex concepts were rendered lucid, such was her style of teaching. David Moses of class 3-B next sang a lovely song. Following up, Mr.C.Mishra, in a heartfelt tribute to Mrs.K.Goel, thanked her for the perfectionist she was and training him to be a very good teacher.Mrs.K.Goel wished everyone success in their endeavours and was presented a wonderful bouquet by Mr.W.Gardner.

Needless to say, each one of the outgoing beloved and respected teachers were given a memento and a gift by the College Principal,Rev.Fr.Thomas Kumar,as a mark of the regard each one was held by the Management.

How does one sum up one's feelings and thoughts on a mother figure,a mother in essence? Mrs.J.Cutting, in an emotional tribute to her late mother-in-law, Mrs.A.Cutting,dwelt on her 34 years of teaching experience, on her multiple remarkable traits and of her gentle ,caring soul finally succumbing to the global pandemic on 28th April 2021. It goes without saying that the whole audience fought to keep tears back as Mrs.J.Cutting recited a lovely poem by Ms.F.D'Souza titled In Memoriam, in honour of Mrs.A.Cutting.

The College Principal,Rev.Fr.Thomas Kumar, stressed on how it was fitting that a farewell programme for teachers should coincide with the day our nation is celebrating Independence Da

The College Principal,Rev.Fr.Thomas Kumar, stressed on how it was fitting that a farewell programme for teachers should coincide with the day our nation is celebrating Independence Day as teachers are the real nation builders. Teachers inspire us for eternity and can only be given a farewell from classrooms though they continue to mentor younger teachers ensuring the quality of education remains excellent as always.

The programme concluded with the singing of the College Anthem by everyone.

"A nation's culture resides in the hearts and the soul of its people."

Breathes there a soul so dead that it does not get infused with pride and joy at the progress of it's motherland? Indeed, the 72nd Republic Day is a reminder of the brave, unstinted service, sacrifice and resilience of all those unselfish souls who worked tirelessly to wrest freedom back for our country and then ensure its smooth governance, courtesy one of the most comprehensive constitutions in the world. 26th January 1950, is a date that is etched deep in the collective consciousness of the Indian populace and each successive year reaffirms our resolve to put India on the global map.

True to its motto of always aiming high, St.Joseph's College, Prayagraj, has always led by inspiration and 26th January, 2021, saw the entire staff, teaching and support, College Cabinet, House Captains, Association Heads, NCC cadet, assembling on the College grounds, to pay tributes to the nation, unfazed by the cold weather.

The Master of Ceremonies, College Head Prefect,Varun Deval, welcomed the Chief Guests for the day, Mrs.S.Mc Gowan and Mrs.A.George, the outgoing teachers, as they were escorted by the College Principal, Rev.Fr.Thomas Kumar, College Vice-Principal,Rev.Fr.Anil Michael, College Headmaster,Rev.Fr.George Medapalli, College Administrator, Mr.A.Mc Gowan and Staff Coordinator, Mr.J.Dube along with the NCC cadets. Seeking God's blessings, Ms.Anumol Matthew sought to create a reverential mood with a Reading from the Holy Bible and a special prayer. The College Head Marshal, Yashvardhan, then welcomed the Chief Guests, thanking them for their stellar services over decades. The Principal, Rev.Fr.Thomas Kumar and the Vice-Principal,Rev.Fr.Anil Michael, cordially welcomed Mrs.S.Mc Gowan and MrsA.George respectively.Post the unfurling of the National Flag by the Chief Guests, the singing of the National Anthem by the entire college, it was time for a disciplined march past by the College Cabinet, Captains and Head of Associations.

The College Captain, Adityendra Srivastava, in his speech, strove to remind one and all of their duty in painting the blank canvas of freedom as gifted by our freedom fighters, with colourful hues, collaborating and lifting one another so that we as a society, grow from strength to strength. As long as there is no enemy within, no enemy without can possibly harm us.

The Republic Day function came to an end with a soulful patriotic song by the Senior Section Choir, expertly led by Mr.S.Daniel, Mr.S.Naik and Mr.A.Arora.

In the next segment of the composite programme, Ms.B.Raphael, the Mistress of Ceremonies, warmly welcomed the outgoing teachers, Mrs.S. Mc Gowan and Mrs.A. George, lauding them for their wonderful mentoring of young, impressionable minds over 38 years and 19 years respectively. Mrs.I.Simon complimented Mrs.S.Mc Gowan for her excellence in organising events and dedication to the job at hand, be it teaching pupils or editing the College magazine.

It was time for floral greetings by the College Headmaster,Rev.Fr.George Medapalli, Mrs.S.Gupta on behalf of the KG Section, Mrs.J.Jacob on behalf of the Primary Section, Mrs.P.Frederick on behalf of the Senior Section, Mr.Saju M.D.on behalf of the Office Staff, Mrs.Savitri on behalf of the Support Staff and Raghav Om, the Head of the Association of Mass Communication, on behalf of the students. Therafter, Mrs.S.Mc Gowan drew everyone's attention to this year being the year of St.Joseph, the patron saint of the College, as declared by Pope Francis. It's only love and care for all, which truly marks a human being great. Grateful to all the previous Principals and Headmasters she had worked under, Mrs.S.Mc Gowan, urged students to remember there are no shortcuts to success.

Subsequent to the memento and gift presentation to Mrs.S.Mc Gowan by the Principal, Rev.Fr.Thomas Kumar, and a lovely felicitation song by the Junior Section Choir, Mrs.A.Cutting praised Mrs.A.George for her soft-spoken ways, inspiring students with the love for Hindi and instilling a value-based discipline in them. Post the floral greetings by the College Headmaster, Rev.Fr.George Medapalli, Ms.S.Prakash on behalf of KG Section, Mrs.S.Masih on behalf of the Primary Section, Mr.A.Simon on behalf of the Senior Section, Mr.P.Horo on behalf of the Office Staff,Mr.Peter on behalf of the Support Staff and Varun Deval, the College Head Prefect, on behalf of the students, Mrs.A.George, thanked the Almighty for his blessings and exhorted the students to value hardwork as the only key to success.

After felicitating Mrs.A.George with a memento and presenting a gift as a token of appreciation, the College Principal, Rev.Fr.Thomas Kumar, in his speech, highlighted how we Indians proved true to one of the foundational pillars of the Indian Constitution, fraternity, in the way they fought on all fronts with the global pandemic. Praising Mrs.Mc Gowan as a livewire of enthusiasm and Mrs.A.George as a self-effacing dedicated professional, Fr.Thomas Kumar expressed pride in the dignity and commitment of all the teachers. Teachers need to possess subject knowledge, skills to impart it, understanding of students and their calibre besides being cooperative with other staff members-the four essential traits which the stars of the day, the outgoing teachers exhibited in abundance.

The programme wrapped up with the entire gathering singing the College Anthem.

“Nothing lasts forever. Forever is a lie. All we have is what is in between hello and goodbye.”

The world owes so much to the ceaseless efforts of teachers and St. Joseph’s College, Prayagraj, bids warm adieu to one of its most beloved teachers, Ms. Gloria French.

The warm morning of 30th April 2019 saw the entire school of St. Joseph’s College, Prayagraj gearing up to welcome its outgoing staff , Ms. Gloria French .The programme commenced with the arrival of our Principal Rev.Fr. Rolfie D’Souza, our Vice-Principal Rev. Fr. Joseph Sagayanathan, our Additional Administrator and Chief Coordinator, Mr. A .McGowan and our Staff Coordinator Mr. Jyoti Dube and Ms. G. French, escorted by the Marching Band of SJC.

The Master of Ceremony, Aryan Malviya of 12-B, in his introductory speech, laid emphasis on the beautiful sunny morning being in sync with our joy filled hearts. Following a reading from the Holy Bible by Ms. B Raphael, the students of the Junior Section Choir presented a Prayer Song invoking God’s choicest blessings. It was followed in turn by the College Anthem.

Post a floral welcome by the College Administration and the subsequent March Past by the Senior Section students, Utkarsh Singh of class 12-C in his speech, next, emphasized on how motivating and caring a teacher Ms. G. French is. He dwelt on how teachers like her always have an indelible impact upon impressionable minds.

The entire school was mesmerized by a lively action song presented by the junior section students. Thereafter Ms. French was welcomed with lovely bouquets and cards thus expressing their fondness for a loving and hard-working teacher. Students of classes 6 to 9 expressed their love for Ms. G. French through a well synchronized dance performance. It was followed by the Senior Section boys showing their love and affection towards Ms. G. French by presenting lovely bouquets and cards.

Next, the College Principal Rev. Fr. Rolfie D’Souza complimented Ma’am on her tireless efforts for 38 years, stressing upon her cheerful and wonderful nature, besides remarking on her leadership qualities. He asked God Almighty to shower his choicest blessings on her, saying she will always be remembered warmly by everyone. After receiving a memento from the College Principal, Ms. G. French came up to speak for the last time in front of her dear students. She reminisced her 38 years of teaching in this glorious institution and thanked the Almighty for giving strength and courage. Deeply nostalgic already, she couldn’t help expressing sorrow over missing the fun, the laughter and the noise of the classes, besides obviously the warm affection of her students.

The programme came to an end with an enchanting song by the Senior Section Choir and the singing of the National Anthem by the entire audience. To conclude the event, the Vote of Thanks was given by Raghav Om who thanked the Almighty for showering his blessings on each and every Josephite and making this day so wonderful.

“Great is the art to begin but greater is the art to end.” – H.W. Longfellow

On 21st of April 2017, the St. Joseph’s College bid farewell to two of our senior most teachers -Mr. Aubrey McGowan and Mrs. Maureen Wright- not by remorse but by celebrating the days they gave to this prestigious institution.

Mr. Aubrey McGowan, also known as the Voice of SJC joined the College in 1978 as a young man looking out at the world of opportunities. He worked at this institution with honesty, sincerity and discipline for a tenure of 39 years and he will always remain in the hearts of all his colleagues as well as his students. Mrs. Maureen Wright gave 31 years to this college and served with honour and prestige as librarian. She joined the College in July 1986. In her tenure, she has seen over 5 Principals and has served as a librarian for over thousands of students and will remain in the hearts of the SJC family forever.

The event commenced by the Principal Rev. Fr. Rolfie D’Souza , the Vice-Principal Rev. Fr. Leslie Cutinah, the Head Master Rev. Fr. Albert Lobo and Rev. Fr. George escorting the two guests of honour to the dais after which a special prayer was delivered by Mrs. L Gaffney. Bouquets were presented to Mr. McGowan and Mrs. Wright by the various members of the SJC Family. The Principal of the College Rev. Fr. Rolfie D’Souza gave bouquets to both Mr. McGowan and Mrs. Wright, The Head Master Rev. Fr. Albert Lobo and Rev. Fr. George presented a bouquet to Mr. McGowan and Mrs. Wright respectively. The Office and the Support Staff also presented flowers to the teachers. Then, the College Captain Yashasvi Raj gave the command for the various squads of different houses to march.

The Students of class LKG and Prep displayed their dancing talents in front of the whole school which was followed by the floral greeting ceremony by the students of the Junior and the Senior sections. Then, Mrs. Maureen Wright gave a speech in which she inspired the students by motivating them and wished the students a bright and prosperous future. The College Head Marshal Rishik Talwar and the College Captain Yashasvi Raj spoke on Mrs. Wright and Mr. McGowan respectively and thanked them for their service to this prestigious College. The Principal Rev. Fr. Rolfie D’Souza also thanked the teachers for their unwavering dedication and unfathomable knowledge. Mr. McGowan was then invited to the dais to speak. In his signature voice, he thanked the students for their love and who, according to him, were the source of his undying motivation and unbeatable dedication. He said that no matter what happens, life is full of changes but the one thing which should remain constant is that the inner self must strive for what is true and what is right. He emphasized that with dedication nothing is impossible and if accompanied by hard work then it is the sky which is the limit. The College Head Prefect Vedansh Ojha delivered the vote of thanks. The Farewell Ceremony ended with the singing of the National Anthem paying homage to the Nation.

It was a sad day for the SJC family as four of our beloved teachers, Mr. Wright, Mrs. Chatterjee, Mrs. Crasta and Mrs. Mehrotra, were finally having the hollowed portals of SJC. The farewell event started with a special prayer by Mrs. Sheetal Sebastian followed by College Anthem. This was followed by presentation of bouquet by the Principal, Vice-Principal, Headmaster, Mrs. Francis & Mr. McGowan from the senior staff, Mrs. Jacob and Mrs. Saba Khan from the junior staff followed by the office staff and helpers. The presentation of flowers as followed by a grand display of March Past. Followed by March Past was a sad but still an inspiring speech deliverance by Anahad Narain- College Vice-Captain, who focused on the sorrows of leaving a Teacher who is known for so many years and the plight of being a teacher. Teacher were garlanded by bouquets by students of junior section followed by a background by Chaitanya Jha and Alankrit Moses. After which Fr. Rolfie (Principal, SJC) focused on leadership quality of Chief Guest and that of the teachers and they were liked precious jewels who will always remain in the heart of students and were irreplaceable. Followed by memento giving ceremony by chief guest and music by boys of junior section. An inspirational speech by Mrs Amrita Chatterjee , followed by Mrs. Mehrotra , Mrs. Crasta, Mr. O. Wright – house master of gold house and four decades of his hard work has now paid him . Vote of thanks proposed by Shreedhar Khandiya. The farewell function continued with the staff where Mrs. Lim Terry, Mrs. Roy, Mrs. A. Harris extended their gratitude and heartfelt thanks to the outgoing teachers who left an in indelible mark in the minds of one and many giving the teaching fraternity a ray of hope that honesty and sincerity will always be reciprocated by the blessings of god. The outgoing staff also thanked the Principal, The staff and all the senior teachers who had already retired to have set a trend what SJC is famous for Dr. Thomas D’Souza said some words of encouragement for the retiring teachers that they should not be depressed but be optimistic in life to have left a legacy which others have to follow.

ADIEU TEACHERS
SJC bids Farewell to 3 Senior Teachers

“May the road rise up to meet you, may the wind be ever at your back, may the sun shine warm upon your face and the rain fall softly on your fields and until we meet again, may God hold you in the hollow of his hand” these were the words which reverberated in all hearts as It was a sombre day gripped with nostalgia when the entire St. Joseph’s College fraternity bade farewell to three of their senior teachers, Mr. S.N.A. Rizvi, Mr. B. S. Wilson and Mrs. J. Joseph who have moulded the careers of thousands of students with their sincerity and commitment for almost 4 decades now. Invoking the blessings of the Almighty, Mrs .P. Rapheal read out a special heart touching prayer to begin the proceedings which was followed by unfurling of the College Flag by the three outgoing Teachers- along with the college anthem sung by the college choir. The three teachers were then graced with garlands by the Principal Rev. Fr. Louis Mascarenhas, Vice Principal Rev. Fr. Ravi Joseph, Head Master Rev.Fr. George Rodriguez, all on behalf of the management, Mr. A. Simon, Mr. O. Wright and Mrs. C. Walia on behalf of the senior section staff, Ms. G. French, Mrs. A. George and Mrs. J. Mehrotra on behalf of the junior section staff, Mr. V. Sterling, Mr. Terry George and Mr. P. Horo on behalf of the Office staff, Mr. Pramod Singh, Mrs. Savitri and Mr. Ashok on behalf of the Helpers, Shubham Srivastava, Harsh Yadav and Ajitesh Dayal Singh on behalf of the students. Children then presented their beloved teachers with bouquets, greeting cards and gifts while Tejas, Aditendra and Aaroh the three students from class 6 sang a beautiful farewell song under the guidance of Mr. Anupam Gulwadi. The three teachers then took the salute of the students who marched in their honour. Principal Fr. Louis Mascarenhas in his message highlighted the extraordinary qualities of the three outgoing teachers – i.e. COMMITTMENT and DEVOTION towards their duty, DISCIPLINE within themselves so as to inculcate the same in students and DETERMINATION to excel. He expressed that it would be difficult to fill the void created by retirement of these teachers. Addressing the students Mrs. Joseph expressed their gratitude towards one and all; Mr. B.S. Wilson recalled the time when he joined the college s a swimming coach and stressed on the need for Perfection in the work with discipline. He said one must think big to achieve big; in continuation Mr. S.N. A. Rizvi stressed the students to be disciplined in life which will provide them success in every sphere of life. Principal Rev. Fr. Louis Mascarenhas presented the three retiring teacher with Mementoes and gifts Later during the day at a small get together was organized for the staff members in the Hogan Hall where Mrs. Amrita Chatterji and Mr. A. McGowan praised the dedication, commitment and ever helping nature of the three teachers. While highlighting the various positive aspects for their retiring colleagues which was Cheerful, diligent, keenly observant, resourceful and a committed person, who has been an asset to this great institution they also recalled some beautiful moments of their association and also Vice Principal Rev. Fr. Ravi Joseph praised the ever helping attitude of Mr. S. N.A. Rizvi and punctuality of Mr. B.S. Wilson and urged the other staff members to follow the example set by them. He praised Mrs. Joseph for maintaining 100 % attendance for 2 consecutive years at this age. Head Master Fr. George Rodriguez also praised the dedication of Mrs. Joseph and the friendly nature of Mr. Rizvi and Mr. Wilson.

GOOD BYE TEACHERS
SJC BIDS Farewell to Three Senior Teachers

“Some people arrive into our lives and then depart, leaving footprints on our hearts and we are in no way the very same” such was the feeling as it was a day filled with nostalgia and mixed emotions as the Management, staff and students joined to bid farewell to three of the most respected and loved teachers Mr.Shivaji Srivastava, Mrs. M.C. Rao and Mr. M. Du’casse.

Mr.Shivaji Srivastava had retired after serving the institution for almost 40 years while Mrs.M.C.Rao had served for 18 years. Mr. M.Du’casse who was in the office rendered his services for 27 years. Due to some prior family commitments Mr.Du’casse could not attend the function.

To begin the proceedings for the day, the newly inducted staff member in the senior section , Mrs.L.Terry read out a special heart touching prayer invoking the blessings of the Almighty, which was followed by unfurling of the College Flag by the two outgoing Teachers- with the college anthem sung by the college choir.

The two teachers were then graced with garlands by the Principal Rev.Fr.Louis Mascarhanas, Vice Principal Rev.Fr.Ravi Joseph, Head Master Rev.Fr. George Rodrigues all on behalf of the management, Mr. N.B.Lawrence,Mr.B.S.Wilson on behalf of the senior section staff, Mrs.J.Mehrotra and Mrs. A.George on behalf of the junior section staff, Mr.Terry George and Mr.Saju M.D. on behalf of the Office staff, Mr.Ashok and Mr.Peter on behalf of the Helpers, College Vice Head Marshall Divyansh Agarwal and College Vice Prefect Shivam Chandra on behalf of the students along with class representatives of all classes.

Children then presented the two beloved teachers with bouquets, greeting cards and gifts while the choir boys from the senior school sang the choir …. You will remain in our hearts……” very meaningfully mentored by Mr.Walter Joseph.

The two teachers then took the salute of the students who marched in their honour.

In his message for Mrs M.C.Rao, College Vice Head Marshall Anand Shanker Deb rendered a sweet poem“May flowers always line your path and sunshine light your day.... May songbirds serenade every step along your way.... May a rainbow run beside you in a sky that’s always blue, May the good lord hold you in a sky that’s always blue, May the good lord hold you in the hollow of his hand and May happiness fill your heart each day, your whole life through” Mrs.Rao in her speech Thanked the Principal, Vice Principal and all her colleagues for their support and cooperation and Thanked all the children for all the Love and affection that they had showered upon her.

“How lucky I am to have someone who makes saying Good-Bye so hard” these were the words of College Vice Captain Pranjal Awasthi his speech for Mr.Shivaji Srivastav. He shared his thoughts, highlighting the rich achievements of Mr.Shivaji Srivastava. He said that Mr.Shivaji had stook like a rock in all their endeavors. He said that although it was sad moment that Shivaji sir was leaving SJC but he felt proud to be a part of his last batch.

In his address Mr.Sivaji Srivastava recalled the time when he joined SJC way back in 1973 on adhoc basis; recollected the moments of joy in his 40 long years of teaching and said that it is the success of the students which is the actual success of the teacher. He said that it gives him utmost satisfaction to think his students are spread all over the world including 16 judges in the Allahabad High Court.

Principal Fr.Louis Mascarhanas in his message highlighted the extraordinary qualities of the two teachers i.e. DEVOTION towards their duty, DISCIPLINE within themselves so as to inculcate the same in students and DETERMINATION to excel. He expressed that it would be difficult to fill the void created by retirement of these teachers.

Principal then presented mementos and shawls as a token of Love and affection to the teachers.

Later during the day at a small get together was organized by the staff members where the two retiring teachers were presented with Gifts and mementos by the staff. On the lighter side Mr.Walter Joseph and Mr.S.N.A.Rizvi rendered beautiful numbers to add melody to the otherwise sober program.

Mrs.M.Kujur while speaking for Mrs.M.C.Rao highlighted the sweet accommodating nature of her and also that she was always willing to take up challenges. While speaking for Mr.Shivaji Srivastava, Mrs Amrita Chatterji highlighted the ‘never –say-die attitude’ of Mr.Shivaji and that he was always there to help anyone who came to him. She felt that retirement of Mr.Shivaji would leave a large vacuum in SJC which would be hard to fill. She said that “Teaching was his passion and he did that will full commitment”. Dr.Manoj Singh also highlighted the qualities of Mrs.Rao and Mr.Shivaji Srivastava and said that he has learnt a lot while working with these two great teachers.

Principal Rev.Fr.Louis Mascarenhas described Mr.Shivaji as one of the strongest pillars of SJC and said that he was one of the most trustworthy and committed teachers. He also appreciated the dedication and simplicity of Mrs.Rao and said that the students would certainly miss these two teachers.

The program was conducted by Mr.A.McGowan.

"Great is the art of beginning, but greater is the art of ending"
- Henry L. Longfellow

Educators have a unique ability to not only impart knowledge but also to arouse students' curiosity, kindle their enthusiasm, and inculcate a profound love of learning.

Teachers are more than just teachers; they are guiding forces in their students' lives, assisting them in shaping their thoughts, behaviours, and perspectives.

13th May, 2023, marked a momentous occasion for the staff and the students of St. Joseph's College, Prayagraj, as theygathered to bid a warm farewell to Mrs. A. E. Harris, whose contributions towards teaching and guiding has inspired thousands of students.