Josephite Festival The Incredible Josephite Festival 2024 - Igniting Minds and Touching Hearts! Ad Majora Natus Sum – We are born for greater things! The school motto aptly encompasses the essence of the Josephite Festival. St. Joseph's High School, Wadala, hosted the most awaited Josephite Festival on 12th, 13th and 14th December, as they marked their 107th year in educating and shaping young minds. The Josephite Festival began, with full gusto, on 12th December, 2024, on Thursday morning and extended until Saturday, 14th December, in the evening. The purpose of the Josephite Festival is to foster camaraderie between schools, promote and celebrate students’ talents, enabling them to gauge their own performances, enjoy and experience perfect, positive, constructive and healthy competition. The spectacular event received an overwhelming response from 93 schools, with 4,180 enthusiastic participants, who competed in a diverse range of 77 competitions organised by the school. The competitions featured several exciting components like the Spell Wiz, Debate, Nail Art, Folk Dance, Mono- acting, Ethical Hacking, Story Telling, Clay Modelling, English Elocution, English and Marathi Choral Recitation, Indian Folk Dance, Western Instrumental Music, Indian Classical Dance and much more. The Chief Guests who graced this occasion with their presence on the three days respectively were – Rev. Sr. Elizabeth D’Mello, the Superior of the Social Service Centre in Auxilium Convent, Wadala, Rev. Fr. Godfrey D’Souza, the Rector and Manager of Don Bosco, Matunga and Mr. Jayesh Kenia, our very own past pupil who was instrumental in the formation process of the mega event - Josephite Festival in the Centenary year of our school. Fr. Peter Gonsalves, sdb who is the author of the teachers’ manuals for South Asia titled, ‘Exercises in Media Education’ (1999) and ‘Exercises in Peace Education’ (2018) and Sr. Rita D’Souza, the Manager of Auxilium Convent, Wadala were the Guests of Honour for the grand finale. Mr. Jayesh was happy to know that the Josephite Festival has been a tradition since the year of its inception in its Centenary year and has enhanced the skills of many students over the years! The Chief Guests were amazed with the fabulous display of creative, ‘thinking out of the box’ ideas in the school campus, right from the tiny tots of the K.G. Section, to the students of the Higher Secondary classes from various schools. In order to carry out the competitions smoothly, participants were classified as Categories I, II, III and IV, comprising students from the Pre-Primary, Primary, Middle School and High School. All the participants happily received participation certificates. There were a panel of distinguished judges, who gave their valuable inputs in evaluating and judging the students. Mr. Sibert Collaco, one of the judges for the Choral Recitation spontaneously gave his feedback saying, “Thank you for your warm hospitality and great job on the planning, etc. Keep up the good work!” There was a team of nearly 65 parent volunteers along with the team of student volunteers, event heads, networking together, guided by the dynamic Members of the Management, the Rector, Rev. Fr. James Nigrel, the Principal, Rev. Fr. Solomon Rapol, the Vice-Rector and Administrator, Rev. Fr. Bonny Borges, the Assistant Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. Arul Nicholas, the Secondary Supervisor, Tr. Nagaprabha Rao and the Primary Headteacher, Tr. Matilda Fernandes along with Tr. Smitha Lewis, the core committee members, who kept track of all the entries at a glance, with the PTA members with Mr. Amit Parkar, Mr. Oswald Fernandes and team, to ensure the smooth functioning of the event. During the prize distribution ceremony, with bated breath, and hearts racing, the students eagerly awaited the results. The best performers were felicitated with trophies, certificates and medals, bringing bright smiles on the faces of all the students of the participating schools. The Principal, Fr. Solomon Rapol, was elated with the energy of all the students, as they unitedly congratulated, cheered and applauded for each other as one, united family. He asked all the students if they would like to come again next year for the Josephite Festival and was happy to hear a resounding “YES!” He thanked the entire Josephite family for working tirelessly to achieve the grand success of the Josephite Festival. This year's festival was truly ‘one of a kind’, offering a phenomenal platform for students to exhibit their talents and creativity, in a vibrant and engaging environment. Mrs. Akanksha Ghole, one of the parents joyfully expressed her thoughts, “The Josephite Festival was an exceptional event that showcased the talents and enthusiasm of school students through a variety of well-organized competitions and activities. As a parent, I was impressed by the meticulous planning and platform it provided for children to explore their creative and intellectual potential. The diversity of events ensured there was something for everyone, fostering teamwork, confidence and the spirit of healthy competition. The vibrant energy and encouragement from the staff and volunteers created an incredibly supportive environment. It was a joy to see the students shine and grow, making the festival a memorable experience for both participants and spectators alike.” The awesome Josephite Festival Parent workshop, on 13th and 14th December, 2024, conducted by Mrs. Mercy Itty and Mrs. Nandita Das, Dr. Ramani S. Kumar, Ms. Prutha Lunvara and Ms. Samidha Kamble from Prafulta Centre for Psychological Well-being, Nerul, was attended by more than 150 parents. The topics focused on mobile addiction, introducing sex education at home, parent as counsellor, self-care, open communication and early intervention. The parents gained deep insight into developing a strong connection with their children based on trust, effective communication, reinforcing practical methods for balancing personal and family life. The parents actively participated and reflected on understanding the needs of children through early intervention, addressing developmental challenges, to make children feel secure and happy, free from inhibitions, to strengthen the bond of love with their children, as their friend, philosopher and guide. On the final day of the Josephite Festival, an exciting lucky draw took place, and the winner of the 1st prize won a brand-new cycle. The fortunate student was from St. Joseph's High School, Master Naman Nagoda. In addition, there were nine prizes given to the other lucky draw winners. This joyful moment marked the perfect conclusion to a memorable event, adding an extra thrill to the celebrations. The Josephite Festival was truly an unforgettable experience, filled with vibrant energy and inspiring moments. It was heartening to witness the enthusiastic participation of so many talented school children, each unveiling their unique skills and creativity. The event not only celebrated the spirit of unity and collaboration, but also highlighted the remarkable potential of our young minds. We are grateful to everyone involved for making this event a grand success, and we look forward to more such opportunities to inspire and nurture the future of our community. Truly, it was an event to remember and will be etched in our hearts forever! written by the BIS correspondents, Tr. Placida Manuel and Tr. Sunita D’Souza