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Steered by Vision – 2017, for the past four years, we have been on a common mission. From a good school, we wanted to be a great temple of learning. We wanted to overcome our setbacks and weaknesses by focusing on our strengths and opportunities.
With that singular objective, we started working on a number of positive changes and transformation. With God’s grace, we have able to achieve many milestones – joyful learning experience for students, team work among staff, Spiritual renewal programmes, smart classrooms, infrastructure development, DB School of Excellence – a new school with CBSE syllabus, solidarity projects for the poor and rural children like DOBODA, exposure visits and charity day, achievements in academics and sports, DB Converge that brought over 1000 past pupils back to school, Don Bosco Health Station, DB National Conference on School education and many more. All these have been possible because of the good will, hard work and commitment of the entire educative community – the Salesian Community, staff, Parents, Past pupils and benefactors. Each of them has contributed generously their time, talent and resources to honour Don Bosco.
Don Bosco was not a solo player. He solicited the collaboration of many people. According to the spirit of Don Bosco, educative mission is a team effort and should focus on the welfare of children. Individually, parts of the ship will sink into the sea, but when they are built together the ship floats, sails swiftly and reaches the destination. The measure of success is not so much how well each of us works individually, but how joyfully we work together, collaborate and accomplish for the common mission of educating young people. We may have our moments of differences and conflicts, but they are all part of the process of harmonizing towards the common mission of creating a joyful learning environment for our children. We need to sacrifice, think broadly and move forward. All of us put together are greater than any of us individually.
I believe we have been effective and successful thus far mainly because we have been able to transcend our own self-interest and advantages, and contribute to the common good and growth of the institution. This is a wise investment and a virtuous circle. Just as a rising tide lifts all boats, the enhanced growth and reputation of our school community will in turn benefit all of us.
As we celebrate Don Bosco’s birth bicentenary, we need to imbibe the attitude that we are instruments of God. Don Bosco said: “In all these works I am only the humble instrument. The master craftsman is God. It is not up to the instrument, but to the Master, to provide the means necessary to bring them to a good end. He will do so as he thinks best. It is up to me only to be docile and pliable in his hands.”
Like our father and founder St. John Bosco, let us entrust ourselves in God’s hands and the protection of our Blessed Mother and keep marching ahead.
Long live Don Bosco. May His holiness fill our Spirit.
Fr. John Alexander SDB
Rector and Correspondent