Kid Graduates in Smiles at Tender Foot Pre-School Convocation Ceremony
Mangaluru: ‘Three and four-year-old children are often called preschoolers. Preschool children want to touch, taste, smell, hear, and test things for themselves. They are eager to learn. They learn by experiencing and by doing. Preschoolers learn from their play. They are busy developing skills, using language and struggling to gain inner care. Preschoolers are more independent than toddlers. They can express their needs since they have greater command of the language. They may also talk about imaginary friends. They enjoy dramatic play with other children. Their emotions are usually extreme and short-lived. They begin to learn to share. Preschool children learn best by doing and involve in a variety of activities. They communicate their needs, ideas, and questions. Their attention span is a little longer so they can participate in group activities ‘.
They appreciate praise for their achievements. They need opportunities to feel more freedom and independence. They are learning to take turns and to share. They ask lots of questions, including “how” and “why” questions. They are very talkative. Their language includes silly words and profanity. They enjoy serious discussions. They can understand some basic concepts such as number, size, weight, color, texture, distance, time and position. Their classification skills and reasoning ability are developing ‘ –these and many more qualities found in the kids belonging to the ‘Tender Foot Pre-School and Coaching Institute located in Bejai, took part in their School’s 6th Annual Day and Convocation Ceremony held at Lourdes Central School Auditorium, Bejai on Saturday, January 21, 2017.
The celebration began with a thoughtful prayer sung by the cute little kids of Tender Foot Pre-School. Trustee of the school Mamatha Bhandary welcomed the gathering and introduced the guests, followed by inauguration of the programme by lighting the traditional lamp by Chief Guest- Dr Rukma Bhandary- Associate Professor and Consultant ENT Surgeon at AJ Institute of Medical Sciences, Mangaluru, along with other dignitaries on the dais namely guests of honour- Fr Melwin Mendonca- Principal, St Aloysius PU College, Mangaluru and Fr Wilson Vitus D’Souza- Parish Priest, St Francis Xavier Church, Bejai-Mangaluru; Trustees of the School – Glen Patrao and Mamatha Bhandary; and Doreen Patrao, wife of Glen Patrao.
Addressing the gathering Dr Rukma Bhandary said, “Being a mother myself, I feel so blessed to be in the midst of these tiny tots who are so cute, adorable and talented. There are two influential people in the lives of these children, they are parents to take care and nurture them at home, and the Teachers at school to train them and teach them to go on the right path. Parents and teachers are a must to nurture and train these children to reach greater heights in their lives. I am really overwhelmed to see these kids unleash their hidden talents, and I compliment the management and teachers of Tender Foot Pre-School for their encouragement, dedication and care towards these kids in leading them in the right way”.
Speaking also during the occasion, Fr Melwin Mendonca said, “Nurturing climate is always needed in the school, along with character formation and social concern. Even though there are lots of schools in this education hub-Mangaluru, they all stress more on academics. But along with academics, children should be encouraged to take part in co-curricular activities and sports. I am glad to see that the kids of Tender Foot have been trained well in their activities – they were all adorable when they sang the prayer song. Teachers and parents should nurture the kids and help them to make their dreams come true. These days we see communal tensions in our area- teachers should educate the children not to indulge in any communal violence. We all need to work in unity for the betterment of the society irrespective of caste, color or creed – for we are all equal under God”.
Fr Wilson D’Souza in his speech said, “We need to inculcate values in children. There needs to be a collaboration between teachers and parents. Teachers should love their children, and take good care of them. Children are the beauty of the family. They are the beauty of the society. Today’s kids are tomorrows leaders. Little ones can achieve great things and success if they are given the training and showed the right direction. And pre-schools like Tender Foot play an important role in molding the tiny tots, training them, teaching them the right qualities and manners etc. Compliments to the founders of this great institute for thinking and caring about the kids and making them active when they grow and move forward. Best wishes and all success”.
Then it was time for the convocation, where the dignitaries on the dais and the graduating kids dressed in their colorful gowns and caps stole the show. Graduation certificates were presented to the “Kid Graduates” by the guests of honour. Prizes were distributed to the kids and some of the parents, who had won in various co-curricular activities. Few parents came forward and shared their thoughts and feelings about the training, caring and service rendered to their kids at Tender Foot Pre-School and Coaching Institute. Peter Nirmal- General Manager of Hotel Taj Gateway-Mangaluru, Stany Vas- Vice President and Connie Saldanha- Vice President and Secretary were also present. Few games were conducted for the audience by MC Zeena Mendonca.
It was yet another spectacular event of this school, where the tiny tots unleashed their hidden talents and enthralled the audience comprising of their teachers, parents and well-wishers. It was a perfect evening where an ocean of talent showcased through oration, dance, drama and music brightened the horizon to the full. The beginning of the cultural programme itself was very lively and illuminating. It was indeed a feast to the audience eyes to see the tiniest of the tiny tots swinging, swaying, waving yet keeping in tune with each other and with music. In every performance of theirs, the blessings in our life were highlighted, the bounties of nature which normally are taken for granted were beautifully presented through dance and music, bringing to us a sense of gratitude and responsibility towards nature. The tiny tots unleashed their hidden talents and their mind-blowing performances were accepted by their moms and dads, grandpas and grandmas, teachers and friends with a thundering round of applause.
The talents of the kids were unleashed through various acts, songs and dances which were choreographed by the teachers of the school namely Roopa Shenoy, Veena Kulkarni, Rashmi Rai, and non-teaching staff, Sarala and Bhavani, and also Ashwini Shetty and Bhavya-the tutors of the Coaching Institute. It was indeed a fun-filled occasion to be in the midst of tiny tots which brought back some fond childhood memories when I was a kid- although we didn’t have much encouragement from our teachers and adults, and also better facilities then, it is nice to see that the present generation of kids are pondered and showered with all the goodies/facilities – and I urge them to make avail of all the opportunities/facilities provided to them, thereby grow up with rich qualities/skills to be the good and responsible citizens of this country.
The programme concluded with the vote of thanks by Glen Patrao-Trustee of Tender Foot, and the national anthem. The programme was professionally compered with a touch of witty punchlines by Judy Fernandes and Zeena Mendonca.
