Media Release

Mangaluru, Dec 24: The Annual Day of Manipal School was recently conducted at Town Hall, here. It was one of the few schools which managed to dodge the city curfew by a whisker. Looking at the young children decked up in their finery and make-up, fizzing and buzzing with excitement and nervous energy, one would have never imagined what was in store for the city.

Ironically, the theme this year was ‘Itihas’, a historical journey of India starting with Mohenjodaro and ending with the present times. This was for Middle and High school. Through dance, drama, vivid costumes and lush visuals projected on an LCD screen, the children celebrated the concept of 'Unity in Diversity'. They showed how India has always been a secular country made up of many different influences.

In the afternoon, the children of Junior School put up ‘Space Voyage’, showing the progress India has made in science and technology.

The morning programme had Dr Nuthan Kamath, dean, department of Paediatrics, KMC as the chief guest and the afternoon show had Dr Dilip Naik, dean, Manipal College of Dental Sciences as the chief guest.

Dr H S Ballal, pro-chancellor, Manipal University and president, Academy of General Education was the chief guest for the evening show. In his short but powerful speech, he urged the parents in the audience to let their children develop their interests fully during their school days as participation in co-curricular activities is necessary for a holistic development of the personality. The chief guest unveiled the decennial logo of the school which had been designed by a class IX student, Nabeeha Fathima. Her design was selected from nearly one hundred entries submitted by the students of the Middle and High school in a competition conducted by the school. The chief guest also gave away the merit awards which comprised of a cash prize to students who scored above 90% in AISSE 2019.

The president of the Parent Teachers Association of Manipal School, Arun Raj Rodrigues and vice-president Sachin K J, felicitated the chief guest as a mark of respect.

Anuradha Shivaram, principal of the school presented the annual report for the AY 2018-19 and also spoke about the vision for the school and of how the school has grown from what it was (just 150 students when it started) to what it is today (over 1,000 students) in just 10 years. She also spoke about her dream for the school, the way forward and of how the school, in the long run, hopes to produce great personalities in the future who are secular, deeply sensitive to environmental issues and who will, at all costs, defend the rich and varied fabric of India.

Children at Manipal School, she strongly emphasized, would be given all the facilities for their total upbringing and holistic education. No compromise would be made in academics or extracurricular activities of the school. All parents and family members of the students and other distinguished guests attended the event in full participation and were highly appreciative of the children's performance and the ability of the teachers to choreograph for more than 1,000 children.

Manipal School offers high-quality co-education to students from Pre-primary to grade X (CBSE). The school uses the right combination of technology and modern teaching methods for an effective learning process. The focus is on holistic education thus developing the child in academics, sports, culture and his/her personality. High standards and academic excellence groom students to be responsible world citizens. The curriculum permits a wide scope for children to explore their interests and to promote creativity, curiosity, determination and independence.

Highlights of the school include:
• Classrooms that combine technology and the best of curriculum
• Continuous assessment to ensure that academic excellence is maintained
• Balanced curriculum with activities in language, arts, physical education
• Highly trained teachers, who ensure students are encouraged to explore their full potential.
• A health service ensuring student and community health.

Many students from the out-going batch spoke of the time they entered the portals of the school as very young children. They spoke of their apprehension of leaving their teachers, friends and the school behind. Their words were tinged with nostalgia, but they said the school had shaped them into confident, responsible people capable of thinking independently.