In this first message to our former students, we wish to share the impressions of a young person who recently completed his High School and bid adieu to his Alma Mater. Mr. Roshan Joel Washington was the High School Pupil Leader during the academic year 2007-2008.

BIDDING ADIEU … A NEW ALUMNUS – 2008

There is a known saying – "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away." While grades and scoresare important, it is the little exciting moments and tensions from each supposedly insignificant moment in our life that will remain entrenched in our memories.

As I look back at my journey as a student the passage of time has indeed recorded both
times of distress and great joy. Who would have ever thought that three years ago we'd all get this far? Trying to sum up these three years of high school is a daunting task but one I take on with great enthusiasm. In the time we've been here, St. Joseph's Indian High School has become our second home, providing many of us with a sense of direction and regularity that may have been lacking. It has become a sanctuary, keeping us sheltered from what passes by outside our school gates.

Studies may have been boring but attending classes was surely fun. We were fortunate to have many excellent, hardworking and dedicated teachers who went far beyond what was required of them. Apart from classes and studies, the programmes on Teacher's Day and Children's Day, the loud cheers and tough competition on the Annual Sports Day, the fantastic display of talents during the cultural fest-Prerana and the informative and educative audiovisual classes will surely remain in our hearts. On a personal note, I feel Prerana is a unique characteristic of St. Joseph's Indian High School and one thing the school will always be remembered for.

Life in St. Joseph's Indian High School has been different for every one of us, whether we were involved in academics, music, sports, clubs or simply struggling to survive. Its been said that high school is perhaps the best three years of one's life. Between going to school and completing our schoolwork along with various extra-curricular activities, we have always found time to enjoy life! Whether it was irritating the teachers in the classroom, chatting with friends in the corridor, resting during the intervals, being chased by the P. T. masters into the classrooms or even ragging fellow students during the school tours. Life in St. Joseph's Indian High School has been an awesome roller coaster ride. Dear friends, it is not the things that can be bought that are life's richest treasures, its moments like these and people in it that money cannot measure. The ups and downs of school life, the humbling experience of learning that sometimes we do not know it all, the taking of a step of faith to get to know new friends and trust them are priceless lessons that money cannot buy. I would like to thank St. Joseph's Indian High School for providing us with many opportunities to learn these meaningful lessons. The school has been a forum of new ideas and opinions and has also taught us to interact with different types of people.

Today as we leave the sheltered walls of school life, we must remember that it is indeed the community around us that moulded us into what we are today. Hence I'd like to acknowledge the many people in our community who have played a significant part in our lives. On behalf of all the students, I'd like to thank our Rector-Fr. Scotus Fernandez, our present Principal – Fr. Gilbert Saldhana, our former Principal-Fr. Melvin Pinto, our present Vice Principals-Dr. Vincent and Fr. Joy Fernandes, and our former Vice Principal-Fr. Gerry Furtado for all the support and encouragement we've received. Our heartfelt gratitude to all our teachers for being so awe inspiring and for those countless invaluable lessons that went far beyond the mere content of our syllabus; To our parents, for their unfailing support, for believing in us and for nurturing us; our friends for being there for us. I'd specially like to thank all my fellow classmates. You guys have truly transformed my high school experience into three of the most enjoyable years of my life, three years I will always treasure. And finally, I'd like to thank all my fellow Josephites for making life in St. Joseph's Indian High School really, really enjoyable.

It indeed is funny how life has a way of sending people off in different directions just when they begin to feel comfortable. Today for the last time we stand together as students of St. Joseph's Indian High School, the last time we leave the school gates as students, the next time we enter school on March 31st we will be identified only with our ten digit register number for the exam. So as parting words I'd like to say that whatever you choose to do in your life, whichever field it may be- "Have fun! Don't do anything you don't expect to enjoy!" today we are the cream of the crop and we will accomplish everything we want because we, the graduates of St. Joseph's Indian High School are creative, innovative, dynamic, intelligent, responsible individuals and truly men for others.

ALL THE BEST !

Roshan Joel Washington

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