Visit of Foreign Principals to RMS
The mission statement on the Edmund Rice Education Beyond Borders website states the following..
Edmund Rice Education Beyond Borders (EREBB) is an International network of Catholic schools educating young people from many different faiths and cultures. In over 20 countries we endeavor to promote global solidarity and offer a transformational education for justice and liberation.
This year principals from various Edmund Rice schools all over the world were invited to Kolkata for a program on education called the “International Education Congress 2016” in the first week of October.
The visiting principals were divided into groups of 8 to 10 and given the opportunity to visit various Christian Brother’s Schools in India prior to the program.
Eight principals visited Regina Mundi from the 28th to the 30th of September. Alfred Doherty from the USA, Paul Tobias, Tony Arnel and Denise Arnel from Australia, Dermot Connors and Leanie Pretorius from South Africa and Cormac McArt from Ireland
A wonderful cultural programme was organised by the teachers and students for them on the 29th of September. Students were told to wear traditional outfits that day. There was an array of some very fashionable outfits that day. The programme with a traditional Indian welcome to the guests. Flowers were showered on them as they entered the hall. Some girls from classes 8, 9, and 10 performed the aarti for the guests, applying the kumkum tilak on their foreheads. They were then presented with garlands, shawls and momentos which were courtesy to Miss Shweta. The lighting of the lamp followed all this. Brother Charles then introduced them to the entire school.
The performances began with a prayer dance by girls of classes 6 and 8. Then the students from the primary section sang a really beautiful Konkani song in praise of Goa. The next performance was a Mando. This was performed by some 7th standard students and primary students. The Mando was sung by students from the 10th standard. Next was a traditional fugdi by the B.Ed. teachers and their group. Deepal Fadte from class 6 performed a wonderful solo dance to a Marathi song next. Then some class 9 students performed the traditional Portuguese Corridinho dance. To end the enthralling show, the class ten students performed two National Integration songs.
Apart from the activity that day, the principals were also taken on a little sight-seeing. They visited a mosque in Dabolim where they did the Namaz. They also visited the Mangeshi temple and the churches in Old Goa. They were truly touched by their experience in Goa. They loved the rich culture and tradition here.
As Brother Finn rightly said when he had to propose the vote of thanks at the end of the programme, if we were to draw a line from California to Ireland to South Africa to Goa and then to Australia we will have gone around the whole world and passed all the five continents. Thus this is a wonderful way to share our traditions with the world and bring the world together.
Some photographs of the events below..
(Report sent in by Ana Paes)
Some more photographs were sent in thanks to Ms Linda…
