CHENNAI: The air was filled with excitement and eagerness as the Kumara Rajah MAM Muthiah Hall of Chettinad Vidyashram School buzzed with the energy of children, teachers, and parents alike. It was the 38th annual day celebration of the school that began on Thursday was a grand spectacle that showcased the talents, creativity, and enthusiasm of the students for three days.
The stage was adorned with colourful decorations and the students arrived dressed in their finest attire, cheerful with a trace of nervousness, as this marked the maiden stage performance for many. The first day of the festivities saw the tiny tots from kindergarten taking to the stage. Friday was reserved for primary school children and on the final day, senior students enthralled the audience.
What made this celebration unique was that each day revolved around distinct themes chosen by the teachers. “We have a theme-based annual day; that is ‘Southern Splendour’ for kindergarten where the performances are based on representing the tradition and culture of all South Indian states. ‘Girithatni’ – magnificent mountains and rippling rivers for primary students, explaining a lot more about nature, and ‘Kala Viraja’– the grandeur of art and artist for the seniors that showcases different art forms,” shared S Amudha Lakshmi, principal, adding, “Every year we conduct a meeting with the teachers and choose a theme for the annual day and work on them. These ideas help the audience gain a deeper understanding and learn more about the concepts. Instead of just entertainment, it is more of edutainment.”
Apart from the staging, the presence of the chief guest also gave the day an additional degree of honour. On the first day of the event, P Selva Ganesh, principal commissioner, Central 2, graced the occasion with his insight and support. He distributed the prizes to the little winners for their academics and extracurricular accomplishments. Sharing his thoughts to the young parents, he said, “No parent should impose their anxiety onto these innocent lives. Let them enjoy the season of innocence in their life. Teachers are also an important part of a kid’s life as they are spending a large number of productive hours with them, where they should provide guidelines and not criticism.”
On the second day of the event, it was delightful to witness students dressed in colourful costumes accept medals from Lokanathan Reddy, additional commissioner of customs. During the event, parents eagerly waited and captured these priceless moments of their children. The day was filled with dance, music and drama performances by the students from the primary sections. The last day of the event began with a prayer, the regular school song, and a welcome speech as usual. V Vanitha, additional director general of police, was the chief guest and she distributed the awards to the winners. The performance of the senior students was coordinated by the principal.
Each day of the annual festival ended on a patriotic note as students brought down the curtains by singing the national anthem.