Don Bosco Primary School, Dabolim

On Wednesday, 18th of December 2024, Mr. Edgar Melo Furtado our benefactor for over 8 years, visited the school with Ms. Larissa his accountant accompanied by Mr. Domnic from KDS.

Mr. Furtado visited all the classes of the Pre-Primary sections and handed out a special Christmas treat to all the students bringing warm Christmas cheer to all the little ones!

A Christmas programme was organised by the grade 2 students under the guidance of Tr. Samidha in the school auditorium. The highlight of the show was the Fun Christmas Freeze Yoga performance by the Std 2 students.

This was followed by a vote of thanks by the School In-Charge Mrs.Tracy Fernandes. Mr. Furtado was presented with a handmade Christmas card and token of remembrance from the Don Bosco School following which he was invited to address the gathering. Mr. Furtado appreciated all the work the Management and Staff put into preparing the children and wished everyone a Joyous Christmas season.

The Primary section gathering ended with the singing of the Don Bosco School Anthem, the national anthem and the distribution of the Christmas treats among the students.

The warm spirit of giving and the joy of the little receivers was a joy to behold!

On November 21^st Don Bosco Primary School, Alto Dabolim, conducted an Oral Health Awareness workshop titled “Bright Smiles, Bright Futures“ in collaboration with Colgate.

Led by Ms. Almas Quasi, a BSc student from Parvati Bai Chowgule College, the session focused on the importance of oral hygiene, proper brushing techniques, nutritious foods for oral health, and avoiding harmful foods.

Students learned the 5 missions for oral hygiene, including brushing twice a day and avoiding tobacco. The workshop was interactive, with riddles and slides, and included the distribution of Colgate toothpaste and brushing habit calendars. A token of appreciation was presented to the Resource Person by the In-Charge, Tracy Fernandes

The JCI, Mormugao Port Trust organized the Mormugao Taluka Inter Primary School Talent competition on 30^th November, 2024. Tr. Samidha and Tr Sneha, along with 22 students from Class 1 to 4 represented Don Bosco Dabolim. Our students participated in all four activities—card making, fashion show, storytelling and dance.

Our school achieved notable success: Rahul Wadekar from Class 3 secured 1^st place in Card Making and our School won the overall 2^nd Runners-up trophy at the KILBIL competition, competing against 17 other schools.  Our students displayed exceptional talent and brought pride to the school with their outstanding performance.  It was a truly proud and memorable moment for our Don Bosco Primary School.

On November 27, 2024, Don Bosco Primary & Pre-Primary School held a Special Assembly organized by the Mother Teresa House (Blue House), to honour Saint Mother Teresa’s life and legacy. The event began with a prayer and was followed by a brief introduction by Tr. Yashwant, who shared significant moments from her life and her dedication to serving the poor. Students from Standards III and IV presented inspiring quotes from Mother Teresa, emphasizing kindness and selfless service. The Assembly concluded with the School and National anthems. Special thanks to Tr. Natasha and Tr. Simbran for organizing the programme.

Children’s Day was celebrated with great enthusiasm at Don Bosco Primary & Pre-Primary School, to mark the birth anniversary of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first Prime Minister.

The event, held in the school auditorium, began with an inaugural ceremony led by the School In-Charge, Ma’am Tracy, who paid tribute to Nehru. The morning assembly included a prayer service and a speech by Tr. Priyanka on the day’s significance. The celebration featured a fancy-dress event, a Talent Show, and vibrant performances by the students. Teachers also surprised the students with a lively dance. Fun games and treats added to the joy. The event concluded with a photo session, the school anthem, and the national anthem, leaving students with cherished memories.

The DDGYFF screening, held at the Don Bosco School Dabolim, commenced with an inaugural ceremony. Teacher Sneha Sawant hosted the event and introduced the Guest of Honour, Fr. Bolmax Pereira. She emphasized the significance of the day to all attendees. A Class 3 student, Ms. Durva, delivered a speech in her mother tongue Konkani, highlighting the importance of conserving the planet for all living beings.

To further set the tone for the event, a promotional video was screened. Following this, Ms. Tracy Fernandes, the School In-Charge, introduced Fr. Bolmax Pereira, who holds a Phd. in Ecology. His passion for nature shines through his activism for environmental causes in Goa. He shared three important messages with the students: save and conserve water, protect forests and keep Goa clean and green.

An interactive session with the students followed, concluding with a vote of thanks. The Don Bosco School Anthem and the National Anthem were sung to mark the end of the inaugural ceremony.

The first round of the screening featured Grade 1 and 2 students watching the film Echoes of the Earth. Class Teachers Samidha and  Priyanka, along with Tr. Simbran, assisted with audio-visuals and event coordination. The synopsis of the film was discussed with the students prior to screening, followed by a group discussion.

For the second film was Kamshola.  Teachers Sneha and Yashwant, alongside Tr. Simbran, conducted the screening for the 3rd and 4th graders. They began by discussing the film’s synopsis, followed by the screening and discussion, based on reflection points. The students displayed enthusiasm throughout the event, even requesting a second screening of the film. They actively participated in discussions, led by their Teachers.

International Girl Child Day is celebrated all over the World on the 11^th of October and was celebrated in our School as well, with a programme incorporated within the school Assembly.

The UN’ s theme this year is ‘Girl’s vision for the future’ and our programme was planned accordingly.

Teacher Sayeda presented a brief introduction and welcomed the Guest speakers.  A grade 4 student, Jashmita delivered a speech, highlighting the key aspects of the day.

The students, led by Tr. Natasha, showcased various professions that they could adopt in the future as they walked the ramp as part of the Lady Professionals Fancy Dress Display.

This brought us to the segment of the celebrations where the guests were introduced and felicitated and each guest shared her unique experiences, words of wisdom and inspiring messages. Lt. Col. Mary Barbara Joseph (Retd.), Mrs. Manisha Prabhu, Entrepreneur in the Educational Field, Mrs. Kelly Ann, a Speech therapist, Dr. Navneet Kaur, a Dentist, Mrs. Venisha D’Costa , Don Bosco Primary School Accountant, Mrs. Vrinda Agarwal, an artist, art therapist and art educator as well as a soft skills trainer and Mrs. Jacinta D’silva, A special educator, gave the students valuable inputs.

The students gained immense inspiration from these well-established, successful women.

The School In-Charge, Tracy Fernandes, thanked the Guest Speakers and the coordinated efforts of all the teachers and acknowledged the important role that they play in shaping the lives of our girls and students in general.

The Fire Department Officer Mr. Dilip Bicholkar, a former Army official, and his team of fire fighting cadets conducted a programme for our School on basic fire fighting techniques. Mr. Bicholkar, who has extensive experience in assessing safety standards for various institutions, including Schools, shared valuable insights from his background in the armed forces.

The programme commenced with a presentation by Mr. Bicholkar and his team, where they discussed the different types of fires and the importance of identifying their sources for effective management. For instance, they emphasized that water should never be used on electrical fires, as this could create additional hazards.

Mr. Bicholkar demonstrated essential precautions to take during a fire emergency:

1. Wet a handkerchief.
2. Cover your mouth with it (this helps with breathing).
3. Crawl low on the ground (as smoke rises, crawling allows you to breathe cleaner air).

Following this, the cadets conducted a live fire extinguishing demonstration. They set up a controlled fire scenario, showcasing the proper use of a fire extinguisher. Several student volunteers, along with teachers, were given the opportunity to practice extinguishing the fire themselves.

The session concluded with an emergency evacuation drill. Mr. Bicholkar explained the evacuation steps clearly, leading participants through a simulated emergency exit procedure. A vote of thanks was delivered by Tr. Sneha, expressing gratitude for the informative and engaging experience.

On Saturday, September 28, 2024 a Special Assembly was conducted to observe Poshan Maah 2024. The assembly commenced with a prayer and a pledge, by Std. 3 students.

Teacher Yashwant led the Assembly, focusing on the importance of nutrition in preventing iron deficiency and hemoglobin-related issues. He posed thought-provoking questions to the students, encouraging them to think about the causes of these problems.

To address these issues, Tr.  Yashwant emphasized the importance of consuming nutritious food, particularly green leafy vegetables rich in iron and vitamins. He listed examples such as spinach, fenugreek leaves (methi), radish leaves, amaranth leaves, and Basella Alba. Visual aids as well as physical specimens of drumstick leaves were shown to the children.

A student contributed to the discussion by highlighting the nutritional value of creeper vegetables.

Tr. Yashwant stressed on the significance of incorporating these healthy foods into daily meals and avoiding junk food and snacks such as biscuits, drinks, chocolates and chips, which can lead to health issues like anaemia, fatigue, headaches, dizziness, chest pain, and yellow skin.

Tr. Samidha then invited students and teachers to take a pledge to adopt healthy eating habits.

The Assembly concluded with the School Anthem and the National Anthem.