Navarasa 2024
Our inclusive annual day, Navarasa 2024, was celebrated on 10 January 2024 at PDN Marriage Hall, Chinna Neelankarai. The stage was beautifully decorated, and a welcoming dais with flowers and sweets was arranged in the front. Students from both the Nandavanam Center for Healing and the Nandavanam Center for Learning welcomed everyone with smiles. The programme commenced with the lighting of the auspicious and ceremonial lamp.
The preparation for Navarasa 2024 started months ago. The planning involved finalizing a venue, deciding the theme, selecting various performances keeping in mind the children’s strengths and weaknesses, compiling tracks, and planning costumes, props and backdrops. Then came the practice sessions as we had to practice without disturbing the academic schedule of the school. The meticulous planning and execution involved everyone, from teachers and students to the non-teaching staff, making it an enjoyable collective team effort.
The Annual Day is an important event in every school in which students get a chance to show off their talents to all. The events started with a welcome speech and a few announcements. The master of ceremonies was one of our own students, which did us all proud. The first event was a bhajan (a devotional song), an invocation to God, followed by a string of performances of dance and drama which kept the audience enthralled all through the 2 hours.
There was a dance performance capturing the creative expression of the farmer, another depicting the processes involved in farming. A skit that was part of our theatre production transported everyone into the life of a farmer. A dance that was a combination of 5 different native dance forms of Tamil Nadu was performed with gusto. Yet another dance performance by the youngest students of the Nandavanam Learners Club was simply adorable. There were also dance performances based on brain gym – a dance to demonstrate balance, rhythm and coordination. The entertainment and cultural activities, songs and dance performed by the students brought the stage alive. Plays and drama also provided great excitement, entertainment and information to the audience. The highlight of the annual day celebration was the award ceremony. Gokul Srinivas was presented with the ‘Nandavanam Outstanding Achievement Award 2023’ for his extraordinary achievement in sports. He shared his experiences with the audience. Citations of honour were presented to Nandavanam’s mentors.
The Annual Day celebrations were not just about entertainment but also a kind of treatment for the holistic development of the students. Concluding with a vote of thanks, everyone left with unforgettable memories. The community of parents, students, and teachers from local schools, as well as staff from Newgen KnowledgeWorks, attended the event. After the event, several parents called up and expressed their joy in seeing their children’s performances. What a wonderful way to mark and remember milestones in the journey of life.
MAREESWARI, a teacher at the Nandavanam Center for Learning, is able to instantly connect with the students, especially older kids. She helps manage the Nandavanam Learners Club and also specializes in preparation for examinations.
