Friday, 16th September 2022
Three years after the last such ceremony, children, staff and parents gatherered at Colombo’s Nelum Pokuna Theatre for the presentation of achievement awards.
We arrived at 09:15am under an azure sky to a resplendent-looking theatre and an excited buzz from the gathering throng outside, expectantly awaiting the doors to be opened. Opened in December 2011, the architecture of the building is inspired by the 12th-century Nelum Pokuna (lotus pond) in Polonnaruwa, and shaped as a stylised eight-petalled lotus flower. The surrounding trees contrasted with the high rise skyline, and an ornate part of the theatre with the brightly-lit moon.
The ceremony turned out to be a wonderful occasion, and for me personally a fitting occasion for my first time inside the theatre. A superbly well-run event bar a few unforseen power cuts, it had clearly been very well prepared from properly orchestrated implementation of the seating plan with thoroughly drilled prefects, through excellent speeches and the well-drilled double act of the two prefects who ran proceedings, to the excellent band and and clockwork presentation of many awards. Nothing seemed to drag; it all just flowed bar the power cuts of a few minutes’ duration each time.
The chemistry of the mentioned prefects who ran proceedings from a pair of lecterns on opposing sides of the stage was lovely; not only in timing and cadence but their obvious pride in each other. We were proud of Misa and Emilka and not just the energy with which they went to collect their awards, but the pride in their appearance and behaviour on collecting them from the Guest of Honour, Mr. Mayan Narendran, a former pupil of the school and successful entrepreneur.
What was also lovely, was experiencing a reminder that despite all the trouble and strife we read about globally, the world has immensely talented and respected teachers and likewise students too; clean sweeps of ‘A’s and ‘A*’s at IGCSE and A level speaks to that, and likewise the list of top universities across the globe that A level students are moving on to.
Also recognised were the fifteen members of staff with unbroken long service of between 15 and 28 years, some of whom such as the Head of Security go back to Day One of the original school at its original location. Listening to the Executive Principal’s words brought to life the role that they play in the fabric of the school that goes far beyond what we see with an email to the Head of Finance or the friendly greeting from the receptionist as you walk up the main steps; always smiling and always helpful. You’ll see them all in a line towards the end of the photos below.
Amongst those who we caught up with after the ceremony was the children’s favourite teacher; they love and worship her as you can see in the penultimate photograph below and leaving her when we return to live in the UK will be hard. She has an incredible gift for her profession that comes to life thanks to hours and hours of painstaking preparation, an energetic and engaging delivery, and seeing each pupil as the individual who they are. The respect that she has earned from them is off the scale, and if you wonder why Emi and Misa now have such an interest in history – He to the degree that we even planned part of our motorcycle holiday around it – in her you have the answer.
Those who can, teach.
Steve
