Media Release

Mangaluru, Dec 1: ‘A smile is a gift that you give to the world and yourself in the process'. Children, of course, do not know, they just do what comes naturally to them under the guidance of their teachers to find ways to spread smiles and make this world a brighter place, a happy place!

The 'Gift a Smile' initiative was launched to celebrate Children’s Day at Manipal School. In this week-long initiative, children with the support and guidance from their parents and teachers celebrated their special day by gifting a smile to the less privileged. Children gave gifts to their house help and others in the neighbourhood who needed help. The objective of this campaign was to bring awareness among students about helping the needy and to be appreciative of what they have.

The students of grade 10 organised a programme to appreciate the untiring efforts of the auxiliary staff of Manipal School. They made meaningful posters and conducted games in the virtual mode. They also put together a gift hamper for the ‘akkas and annas’. The school captain, Rakshith Bediguthu and the school cabinet members, Siya, Prakriti, Shayan, Gaman and Vignesh were part of this programme. The programme was much appreciated by everyone especially the auxiliary staff members who were overwhelmed by the love and affection shown by the students and staff.

Ravishankar, the school bus driver and Vasanthi, a senior housekeeping staff member, expressed their gratitude to the school management, principal, staff and students for their kind gesture. They appreciated the fact that the management had supported the auxiliary staff, by paying full salaries even during the pandemic, just like any other employee at Manipal School.

In her reflection, Siya, a student from grade 10, said, “Everyone, including the students that put up the show, enjoyed it. It was heart-warming to see that the people who do so much for us were being appreciated. I enjoyed the virtual programme, it was brilliantly put together and was very entertaining. A few dance performances, personalised 'thank you' notes, and also a poster by all the students was made and displayed virtually. I also got to see our auxiliary staff in-person at school and got to thank them personally. It was nice to see them dance and laugh together at the programme, and I was glad that they liked what we put up for them."

Prakrithi of grade 10, had this to say about the programme, “Keeping the current situation in mind, the virtual and live programmes both were set up efficiently. We were given a great opportunity to convey our gratitude to the auxiliary staff who work tirelessly for our school. Moreover, it was filled with fun and enjoyment for everyone present. It was an unforgettable day, giving them a break from their daily work routine. I was pleased to know they enjoyed their day."

This was not all, on November 12 teachers and children celebrated this special day in their virtual classes. Like every year, the teachers presented colourful dances and skits to entertain their students. They also created videos and organised games such as dumb charades, scavenger hunt and many more. The children joined in the celebration from their homes dressed in their favourite clothes for their special day.

A special video wishing all the children on their special day with special messages was also presented by the staff and the principal. The efforts of the teachers were much appreciated by the students and parents.

“Dear teachers, thank you for taking interest in the Children’s Day celebration. The whole programme was well structured, right from the principal’s lovely message, to the dance and music show by the teachers which showed your love and passion for our kids and to the profession. The happiness you gave to the kids cannot be reproduced,” said the parent of Shayan from grade 5.

“Well organised and best virtual Children’s Day celebration. Thank you all teachers so much for preparing such a beautiful performance to make the children happy and so special. Teachers of Manipal School are the best,” said the parent of Nayab from grade 3.

Ira Jain, a student from grade 6 said, “It was a very fun programme and we enjoyed seeing our teacher’s performances. It was nice to see how well the teachers planned our special day and made it memorable even though we couldn’t be with them physically.”