Monday 17 September 2012

DON BOSCO HIGH SCHOOL, MATUNGA: STD IX E&F ORIENTATION

DON BOSCO HIGH SCHOOL, MATUNGA: STD IX E & F - VALUE ORIENTATION
September 17, 2012: One hundred students of Standard Nine, Divisions E & F, participated in a half day's Value Orientation program that was organized by AVEC. Fr. Glenford Lowe, AVEC Director  and Mr. Rochwyn Fernandes, AVEC Project Coordinator facilitated the program. The theme for the program was : "Lead your Life by a Value Compass"
After a brief introduction that enabled the students to get focused, a prayer song 'Sarveshaam Swastir Bhavatu' was played. Mr. Rochwyn Fernandes then took the students through a moment of personal relaxation and calming down. Using a fantasy meditation, the students were able to de-stress themselves and calm down. The students really participated very seriously in this meditation. Mr. Fernandes then introduced Fr. Glenford Lowe to the students. He also briefed the students about the 'great act of love' by Fr. Lowe in donating his kidney to a fellow Salesian Priest, a little over a year ago.
 Fr. Glenn began his session citing two concrete examples of Ryan's Well and Kia Scheer's One Life Alliance that makes a difference in the lives of people over the globe. "I am here to disturb you. All of us in our own way can become MAD. Make A Difference! Guiding our lives by a Value Compass will enable us to Live Life more meaningfully and purposefully, rather than merely surviving another day", emphasized Fr. Glenn. The students accepted the challenge to Make A Difference!
Through the use of various everyday life's experiences, personal testimonies, motivating video clips, challenging insights and moments for personal sharing and group activities, the students were given TWELVE DIAMOND VALUES to cling on to in their lives: Having a Winner's Attitude, Being a Synergistic Team Player, Communicating Effectively your 'happy' and 'Sad' messages, Living Confidently and Creatively, Learning from Criticisms and Falling Forward, Motivating One self and Leading Others, Multi-tasking and Prioritizing one's schedule, Seeing the Big Picture, Telling the truth about Money, Living a Balanced Life 'Body-Mind-Heart-Soul' and finally Having an Abundance Mentality were the important Values that were needed to live one's life with a difference. 
The session ended with the song 'The Climb' where the students were challenged to move from being mere Quitters, to Campers to being real Climbers in life. At the end of the session, a number of students were invited to come forward and write their words of appreciation in the AVEC log book.
 The following entries were made:

"The seminar was enhancing and made me a 'Lighthouse' child"  Joy Myers IX-E

"The seminar by Fr. Glenn and Mr. Rochwyn was very good. It made me feel very high and it encouraged me too" - Jeevan Kodiyan IX - E
 "The seminar was very nice and heart touching and it helped us to learn good values for life" -  Joel DSouza IX -E

"The seminar of Fr. Glenn was very nice. It was enjoyable and we got to know many things about life and it also changed us" - Joy D'Souza IX -E
 "Many thanks to Father Glenn for this seminar and I'm very glad and grateful to him for making me go MAD" - Gaurav Gorde IX -E

"Life is going on..we cannot stop it. So go forward and do the best in whatever you do. Thanks for making me MAD" Merwin Pereira IX -F
 "Quiet an amazing experience at this Value Orientation seminar. Thank you Fr. Glenn for making us go MAD" -  Dhruvil Rana IX -F

"The seminar was amazing. I had a good experience about our life and when I leave this place, I really felt like a 'light house' student"  - Lester Fernandes IX-F


"Congratulations to all the students of Don Bosco High School - Matunga, for your whole-hearted cooperation and attentive participation all through the program. I pray God's blessings on your educative journey to wholeness and meaningfulness in live. God bless you all!" Fr. Glenn and Mr. Rochwyn Fernandes