by Father Vivian D'Souza for BISMumbai

The 103^rd Annual Day was held on 31^stof January and 1^st of February 2020. This year our school presented the musical ‘Aladdin.’ The Chief Guest for the occasion was Rev. Fr. Bernard Fernandes, Principal of Don Bosco High School, Matunga. We also had four of our Staff members who were felicitated on this day. Our Silver Jubilarians, Ms. Saluja Jagjit Kaur, Mrs. Maria Waghmare, Mr. Brahmadev Pathak for long service award and Mrs. Doris Rodrigues, our retired staff.

Fr Vivian D’Souza, the Rector warmly welcomed the gathering on this auspicious occasion. The melodious welcome song by the K.G students, the solemn prayer dance by the students of Stds. IB & IIB, the fabulous, mesmerizing dance by the PTA representatives kept everyone enthralled with their fantastic, lively dance to the tune of a medley of popular songs to depict the spirit of unity and friendship among people of different states in India. They portrayed the message – ‘Beauty in Diversity’ through their vibrant dance performance! The awesome achievements accomplished by the staff and students of the school were highlighted by Tr. Sangita Bhattacharya, the Headmistress of the school.

The Greenline Crusaders from our school reminded everyone about the need to ‘Breathe Free’ through their wonderful, spectacular dance performance. The Guests of Honour were felicitated with a token of love and appreciation. The scholars of our school received special awards for different categories in academics and extra-curricular activities.

The splendid, magical, captivating musical ‘Aladdin And The Magic Lamp’ was presented with all its grandeur and was extravagantly depicted in a theatrical manner! All the students from Stds. I – IX acted marvelously and made the story come alive on stage in the perfect dramatic setting! The arrival of Prince Ali was indeed majestic, enthralling the audience as he made his grand entry on a live horse! This was the first time in the history of St. Joseph’s that an animal took an active role in the 103^rd Annual Day presentation. The choir sang melodiously, the dancers moved gracefully to the rhythm of the Arabic beats and the impressive actors donned their costumes and enacted their roles perfectly, making the story of Aladdin come alive on stage! The musical was truly magical and spectacular. It was indeed wonderful to watch more than 500 students performing songs, dancing and acting, mesmerizing the audience with their awesome talents! Fr. Principal proposed the vote of thanks, expressing his heartfelt gratitude to the staff and students for making this day a grand success!