“I’ve spent all my life in this campus; from the day I stepped into it as a little girl, grumpy and teary-eyed, till this day,” says Asha Babu, the President of the Alumni Association, Sacred Heart Matriculation School, Church Park. Established on September 9, 1909, the school became a Private Matriculation School, affiliated to the University of Madras in 1952.
The sprawling campus of Church Park, which stands in the heart of the city, has been home to many others like Asha Babu, who look back with fondness, at the years they spent in this esteemed institution. As it completes its centenary year, they observe that if there is one thing that has not changed, it is the institution’s value system.
Asha recalls the most well-known landmark in the campus, the umbrella tree, where she spent the best time with her friends. “Every student in Church Park knows the umbrella tree. The lunch room we used for a number of years was converted into a classroom after they introduced Class 12, or +2,” she says.
Upasana, who leads the Studio Saks boutique cannot forget how her favourite teachers in school, Mrs Raymond and Mrs Grace acted as her mentors when she needed them the most. “They have moulded me. My best times were in the school volleyball team. The school’s secular values and sportsmanship are instrumental to my success today.”
Aarthi Anand, an attorney, owes her professional achievements completely to her teachers. “We took our teachers seriously. The values they imparted stay with us through life,” she says.
The function of the centenary celebrations takes place on September 9, at 5.30 pm. The event will be presided over by Thangam Thennarasu, Minister for School Education and MP Kanimozhi.