HOLY CROSS HIGH SCHOOL - LOWER PAREL : STUDENTS' ORIENTATION
AUGUST 7, 2014
Holy Cross High School - Lower Parel is a regular school on the AVEC animation list. This year, too, 255 students of std IX and 225 students of std X participated in the "My Life: A Valued Journey" orientation. Sr. Lali, Principal of the school welcomed the two guests and presented floral tributes too. Ms. Vani Sebastian proposed the words of welcome on behalf of the school.
The session involved and initial prayer song and a brief meditation by Mr. Fernandes. The students were invited to focus on their breath and to get in touch with their inner selves through a well prepared fantasy meditation. The meditation enabled the students to calm down and relax.
Fr. Glenn began his session on the main theme of the day with an invitation to chose the higher values of life. "When it comes to material things we chose the higher valued object, but sad to say, when it comes to living the values of life, we consciously chose the lower values", he said. Between Peace and revenge, we chose revenge. We chose filth over cleanliness, rape over respect, corruption over honest and communal violence over harmony! Through a number of good role models and people who made a difference, the students were able to connect with the topic in a clear and understandable way.
The next part of the session focused on the importance of the present 'Now moment, the past 'spiral of life' and the future 'wheel of life'. The students were able to gauge themselves and honestly took a good look at them selves. Every insight and personal choice were well discussed upon. The students really took the entire session very seriously and they were able to struck by the examples of people like Kia Scherr, and Imaculle Ilibagiza.
The simple but powerful video clip on 'Two plus Two is Five' challenged the students to live up to what is right and good and never to sacrifice what is good for what the world or media offers us as good. "What are your core values that you are ready to die for because you believe that it is true", he asked them. The last part of the session focused on the need to 'write your problems on the sand'. "keep your problems at a distance and you will be able to handle it. Holding it too close to your eyes, only makes them seem enormous and unsolvable", he advised them.
At the end of the session, the students wrote their comments in the AVEC log book:
"I have learnt so much from today's session , on how to improve our life and how to face difficulties by taking right decisions" - Anusha S Vemula IX-A
"The session has truly changed my thinking. This will help us to improve our life's spiral and we surely will" - Siddhi Trilotkar IX B
"I have learnt the way of life" - Manish Chowke IX A
"I have one word to say for this session: "Awesome", My life will change" - Mali J Ganesh IX D
"I had learnt that life is more precious than money. We have to set your life cycle in the valued way" - Bhakti Vinayak Shirole IX B
"I am very happy to be a part of this session. Whatever I have learnt from this session it will be very useful to set my life in a valued manner" - Vinaya S Bale IX D
"I have learnt very nice things now I will change my life" - Danish D. Mulla IX C
"From this session, I have learnt nice things and how our life cycle is and to change our life" - Rishab P Singh IX A
"Thank you Fr. Glenn for helping us to know ourselves" - Jain Harsha X C
"Thank you Fr for giving us your precious time. We got to know more about ourselves" - Simone Mascarenhas X C
"Got the value of life. It motivated me a lot and imbibed in me a desire to excel" - Tarak Vijay Sawant X B
"Thank you Fr for giving us such a wonderful session about our life. It was very much interesting" - Hrishikesh Shrikar X A
