GKV student selected for government scholarship
Gomathi N, a GKV alumni of the class of 2024, was selected for the Tamil Nadu Literary aptitude stipend of Rs 1500/- per month for a period of two years. The “Tamil Language Literary Aptitude Test” is conducted by the Tamil Nadu government through the Directorate of Government Examinations (DGE), aiming to identify and reward talented students in Tamil literature by providing a stipend to 1,500 selected students for two years; with half of them coming from government schools and the other half from both government and private schools. Nearly 2.25 Lakh students wrote the test that was held in Oct 2024. It was a proud moment for all the teachers , students and alumni of GKV when the results were announced at the end of Dec 2024. Gomathi had secured 738th position in the examinations to be one among the select few to be given the monthly stipend by the government. Gomathi , who was the topper of the class of 2024, is currently pursuing her secondary education in our partner school Sri Jayendra Golden jubilee Hr Sec School having taken the Maths, Biology group. Congratulations to Gomathi and best wishes for all her future endeavors!!
GKV participation in BUZZ 11.0
The students of GKV (1st to 9th standard) are attending two classes of spoken English per week conducted by a trainer from Beehive Communications Club since June 2024. BCC imparts, a Virudhnagar based organisation imparts a training programme for the school students of all grades to enrich their communication skills and other soft skills. On 23rd November 2024, GKV students of classes 8 and 9 participated in BUZZ 11.0 – the annual literary conference organised by BCC with participation by students from the various schools they work with. The GKV children participated in 3 events namely Headlines, Open Book, Pen Partner and Metaphor. Their contribution was appreciated with certificates. The GKV team was awarded “Most Professional Team Buzz 11.0 “. Overall, it was an enriching experiecne for the students.
GKV at Kiddival 2024
Our primary school children participated in the famous Kiddival programme sponsored by RMKV a well known fabric show room in Tirunelveli. Kiddival is an annual inter-school competition for children in and around Tirunelveli to encourage children to explore their talents and go beyond academics. The event which started in 1990 has grown to participation by over 75 schools and 1700 students. This year’s event, the 37th one , was conducted on November 23rd 2024 . The GKV children got excellent exposure of competition by participating in 17 events. Anthara Roja of class V got 3rd Place in Clay Modelling a prize for clay modelling event. The students had lot of fun and were all given a certificate of participation as well as a gift.
Sanskrit bootcamp
As part of the endeavor to create awareness among the students about the country’s culture and heritage, a 10 day Sanskrit learning program was conducted at the school from 17th October to 25th October by Samskrita Bharati, Dakshina Tamil Nadu . Forty students from classes 6 to 9 got an opportunity to learn the Sanskrit language during this program. Mrs Parvathi, the volunteer who conducted the program , was very impressed with the learning ability of the children. In the valedictory function our students were able to speak in Sanskrit to a certain extent which was well appreciated by all.
Santhiya selected to the state Handball team
We are proud to share that our class X student M. Santhiya has been selected for the Tamil Nadu under-17 girls Handball team to represent the state at the national level. As part of our school handball team for the past 3 years she helped the team win the district level tournament in 2023 and 2024. 100 handball players from across the state were called for the selection which was conducted at Anna stadium in Kanchipuram. Santhiya was very impressive in her first round of trials and was the third player out of the 17 who were selected to represent the state. Hearty congratulations to Santhiya and best wishes for her to perform well and make the school and state proud at the national level.
Alumni at the 15th anniversary celebrations
Five batches of students comprising 257 students (132 boys, 125 girls) have passed out of GKV between 2019 and 2024. Of these, 12 are now working after completion of their 3-year polytechnic diploma, and most of the others are pursuing further education. It was gratifying to see close to 200 of these students , spanning all the batches, join the 15th anniversary function of the school on 10th August 2024. There were at least 20 students from each batch with the maximum number of students being from the last batch that passed out in 2024. While most of the students were from in and around Tirunelveli area, several of them came from Chennai. The trustees, donors and volunteers got an opportunity to interact with these students before and after the function. The school and the trust hope to build a strong community of GKV alumni and engage with them in a mutually beneficial manner. Photos below from before and after the function. By the time of the group photos at the end of the function many of the alumni students had already left.
Video on the Evolution of the school
A short video on GKV was launched at the 15th anniversary celebration event at the school on 10th August. The event was attended by parents, trustees , alumni of the school, donors and volunteers . The film gives an overview of the school from its genesis and inception in 2009 in a small rented space to its evolution to the current campus with its infrastructure and amenities and focus on providing holistic education to the children of socially and economically disadvantaged families of the area . It also has a few words from the school’s principal and some alumni of the school. The video has English subtitles with English or Tamil voiceover.
15th Anniversary Celebrations – August 10th 2024
APJ Abdul Kalam famously said, ‘All of us do not have equal talent. But, all of us have an equal opportunity to develop our talents.’ Students of GKV had a fantastic opportunity to hone and showcase their talents during the 15th Anniversary celebrations held on August 10th, 2024. The day started with a lively morning assembly that was brimming with the enthusiasm of our students, attended by visiting guests, trustee members, and some volunteers. Students interacted with the guests with infectious energy before resuming classes as usual. The guests then had a campus walk-through, where students showcased their skillful portraits, paintings, and handicraft pieces. From work done by primary students to high school students, all artwork was displayed with care and greatly appreciated. The high school and middle school students also had a science exhibition. Students, with their unwavering dedication, worked individually and in groups to create models for their projects. These were innovative designs and solutions using technology to solve real-world problems. Students explained their projects and the use of Arduino boards, sensors, LED lights, lasers, voice recognition applications, and other tools and devices. Several exciting and creative ideas were on display, including a waste disposal system, sensors preventing wild elephants from railway collisions, water purification devices, automated speed controllers for vehicles, etc. The cultural event was held in the evening, with active participation from parents, alumni students, and faculty from the mentor organization Jayendra School. The school wore a festive look with a large stage set up for the performances. The choir gave the audience beautiful renditions of various songs, starting with an invocation prayer and peppy numbers in many languages, including Hindi, Telugu, and even an African song! The musical treat was followed by inspiring talks by Mr Krisnamurthy and Mrs. Meera Isaacs , founder trustee and trustee of Gita Krishnamurthy trust respectively. Mrs. Usha Raman, chief mentor of the school then spoke about the evolution of the school and gave out Long service awards to teachers and staff who had been with the school for 10 years or longer. The best student of each grade was then recognised for general proficiency. Shyam Ramamurthy made a presentation on behalf of the trust showcasing the new website as well as launching a video showing the growth of the school over the past 15 years from its humble beginnings as a primary school. The chief guest of the evening, Nivas K. Prasanna, was a talented singer and music composer alumnus of Jayendra School. He spoke highly of the support he received during his school years and inspired the students to pursue their interests with sincerity. He also sang a few of his famous songs, much to the delight of all the parents and students. The evening continued with riveting performances in plays. The adaptation of Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice was lovely, followed by an outstanding multilingual historical play about Queen Velu Nacchiyaar, set during India’s freedom struggle. Next, the dances from various states – a kolattam with a tall pole and ribbons that were perfectly synchronized, an energetic Haryanvi harvest song, a Tamil folk dance, and the grand finale that was indeed a treat for the eyes. This award-winning dance ensemble was originally choreographed and performed at Jayendra School a few years ago. The recreation by GKV students was faultless! With perfect timing and grace, all the students performed with enthusiasm. The teachers and some alumni from Jayendra mentored GKV students for two months leading up to the grand event. With relentless practice and support from parents and teachers, the students gave their best. It was heartening to see the presence of over 150 alumni students of the school spanning all 6 batches attend the celebrations. Highlights of the program. The entire program can be watched here. See more photos in the gallery under 15th Anniversary .
Founder’s Day Celebrations – August 8th 2024
The School celebrated its 15th Founder’s Day on August 8, 2024, with a vibrant Sports Day and a heartwarming Kindergarten convocation program. The day’s agenda was packed with a variety of activities, starting with an enthralling group yoga performance, by students of 7th, 8th and 9th standard, that highlighted the importance of physical and mental well-being. There was a spectacular display of silambam, an ancient martial art that originated in this region, by children of 5th to 10th standard. The event featured the finals of games and athletic competitions for students of all grades from LKG to 10th. The preliminary rounds were held earlier. The younger children participated enthusiastically in activities such as the busting of balloons, musical chairs, lemon and spoon race, three-legged run, sack race etc. The events for high school children included slow cycling, Kho-Kho and 100m and 200m sprints. Parents, who were invited to celebrate Founder’s Day, continuously cheered for all the participants. The high school girls competed fiercely in Kho-Kho, showcasing tremendous skill and energy in a fast-paced game. The teachers of GKV School meticulously planned and orchestrated the Sports Day events, ensuring that the values of teamwork, striving for excellence, and having fun were embraced by everyone present. They were ably supported by the staff of the partner – Sri Jayendra school . The day’s agenda also included the Kindergarten graduation and convocation ceremony. It was delightful to see the tiny tots proudly wearing their gowns and receiving their graduation mementos from the guests of honor, as their parents beamed with pride. Ms. Meera Isaacs, a GKV trustee , a guest of honor for the function and a close colleague and friend of Gita, evoked fond memories of Gita with an inspiring address. Richa Chaturvedi, a donor and ex-student of Gita mentioned that her students loved attending her classes as she made learning very joyful. Gita’s daughter, Supriya Krishnamurthy, also spoke to the audience, expressing that her mother would have been overjoyed to witness such a joyous gathering. Gita Krishnamurthy Trust expressed its gratitude to the partner trust Sri Jai Sankara educational trust and the teachers and staff of GKV who have been responsible for making the school what it is today. Mrs. Usha Raman and Mrs. Kausalya thanked everyone who made time to attend the event. Highlights of the program. The entire program can be watched here. More photos in the gallery under Founder’s Day.
Events
Towards holistic education of the children the school encourages them to participate in non-academic activities such as sports, drama, music, debate etc. A few of them are summarised below:A Fancy Dress Competition was held for K.G. Kids on 6th January 2024. The children were dressed up in different forms, such as fruits, vegetables, animals, birds, and people who help others (police, teachers, traffic policemen, doctors, etc.). Both the parents and students enjoyed the event.The children organised Pongal celebrations on 14th January – this event had enthusiastic participation from 9th and 10th standard children. The school was festooned with colourful kolam, and the sun god was worshipped with fruits, vegetables and sugarcane offerings.Students from 6th standard onwards recited verses from the Kural with meanings at the Tamil Literary Association meeting on 14th February.