presentation convent school kodaikanal

A Dispatch from the Western Ghats

Under the Green and Gold

A Presentation Convent graduate looks back at ‘80s Kodai in vivid detail

I remember my first day of school. I was ten, freshly returned from Lagos, Nigeria. It was June 1984. We lived in Orchard, a turn-of-the-century bungalow situated between Tapps Road and Lake Road; the TV tower loomed over our shoulder to the left, and the Dunnattor bungalow lay right across from us. Uncle Johnny, who lived in the outhouse, had told me between helping him roll his cigarettes and learning the chicken dance, that if I ever saw old Mr Whitmore—who lived in the annexe and who, rumour had it only came out once a year—I should never make eye contact or I’d turn to stone.

So, I always ran past the annexe without looking up. I would not stop until I was well down Tapps Road, which is where I learnt to cycle in my free time. I don’t ever remember running into a car. A stranger on his walk once stopped and taught me to turn properly, without putting my leg out against the road. I’d arrive at the jetty huffing puffs of cold air to catch the ferry. But Pakkyam anne, who lived in the house with the walnut tree, would not start the ferry off, the first of the morning at 7am, for just anyone. He would wait for Mrs Hart, my principal, to emerge from her bungalow.

Mrs Hart, red-cheeked and prim, clutching her handbag like the Queen, would expect a proper Victorian courtesy and a “Good morning, Mrs Hart” as she checked my shoes. Whether rain or sunshine, therefore, I polished my shoes a lot at the back of my knee-length socks. After crossing, we would stand together for Nathan anne’s van at the boat house. If I made the crossing alone, I would be able to stick my hand in the water when she wasn’t looking, so sometimes I missed the boat deliberately.

In 1984, Nathan anne had not started his van service yet, and Mr Hart was driving Mrs Hart to school. So, on this first day, my mother and I walked up the hill to Presentation Convent Kodaikanal (PCK), now a 100-year-old grand dame. It was to shut down in my 8th standard, four years away, but we didn’t know it then. (We would hear later – my mother was, by then, a kindergarten teacher there – that orders had come from Ireland stating that the mission was to serve the poor, not cater to the wealthy boarding school girls on its roster.)

I had exhausted my energy skipping across the two green bridges on the lake (between Carlton and Spencer’s, which have been dismantled now), and was late and cranky. So my mother arranged for Johnny Boy, Murugan’s horse, to take me up after the crossing from the following day. Johnny Boy was kind and slow, and he made it easier for me to navigate this new world, of hills, mists, interminable walking, and boarders angling for tuck, and seniors who pinched my cheeks to listen to me say ‘owwww’ in an accent. Johnny Boy and Murugan would drop me off at the Silver Arch and I would make my way down the long driveway for assembly in the billowing wind. School was all wooden floorboard and ancient stone, history in the eaves, peace in the chapel, and sprawling beauty under the pines.

I signed up for the van from the next term, but I remained friends with Johnny Boy. Johnny Boy lived a long life because Murugan renamed every subsequent horse Johnny Boy. I like to think of him as still there, helping some child feel less overwhelmed on their first day of school.

I settled into the routine of the girls (we were a girls-only school then) quickly enough. Jump off the van, a quick dip of the knee at the statue of Christ the Redeemer; “please don’t allow Mrs Ramanathan to ask me for my Hindi homework”, “please don’t let Mrs Abraham ask me a science question”, “please let Ms Stella forget to check my embroidery”. Then, rush to squeeze into the line (in order of height) before anyone spotted us.

With only the rustling of the leaves for accompaniment, we sang the PCK anthem:

“ Under the Standard of our School, Glory, honour reign… Planting the seeds of faith and good deeds Of Presentation Convent fame. Alma Mater, let the flag unfurl Stand brave, stand true, under the green and gold.”

Big Bell pealed across the valleys. Some day, I would ring the bell as a prefect too, a dream we all had harboured. Games in our skorts in the stadium, where we would hear of Indira Gandhi’s assassination one day. I ate lunch on the steps of Sinclair house with my best friends: Rekha Nair, whose mum, Leela Nair, was head nurse at the ‘dish’ (dispensary) at Kodai International School; and Raji, who had the longest hair in the world, so that she had to fold her braids up three times—her parents ran the Shanmuga Vilas lodge.

We were always running, half-opened lunch boxes in hand, from the monkeys or a rakshasi whom we believed inhabited Sinclair House, or from the skeleton in the science lab. We were only seven day scholars in the school then, three of us in the 4th standard and Anees, Deeparani, her sister, and Niranjana Wilson.

After lunch, we slid down the grassy banks over the parapet to gossip beneath the trees and secretly pluck the school’s plums and peaches. We would dust our black shoes with chalk powder and skate down the corridors. Or dive for books in the cupboards at the back of each classroom filled with texts left behind by our seniors, some nearly a century old. I once found Walter Scott’s Lady of the Lake , inscribed to Elizabeth in 1908. We were determined to find her but we didn’t have internet then.

After school was out, at 4pm on alternate days, I would walk to Ganga Compound, then the home of Mr and Mrs Nageshwaran, the Kodai School music teacher, where she would attempt very fervently to teach me to sing. I was probably her only failure. However, I did learn well from Mr Nageshwaran, who would stand at the door counting down the seconds till I arrived. “You are three seconds late” he would proclaim. I have never been late for an appointment since.

Our home, Gayatri Bungalow on Bear Shola Road, was built by architect Henry Wilson, Niranjana’s father. Our neighbours were Doctor Subramanian and his wife, on the corner, with only orchards between us, the earth a fecund carpet of leaves. It was surrounded by pear orchards, all the way up to Jay Hotel and the falls. In the cottage to the left of us, wild boar would forage Mani anne’s ladies fingers and sweet peas. Hippies in bandanas waved out to me as they passed, foraging for mushrooms and weed that grew wild. By night I’d lie in bed listening to the sound of the water, and the howling wolves, or what I thought were the hounds of the Baskervilles. Mrs Abraham would tell me of tigers at Coaker’s Walk when she was a young girl.

By day, I would lie on my back on the grass and watch for eagles and hawks and hoopoes. Down the road, rumour had it, the Whitakers kept snakes in their homes, and while I loved to watch their horses, I couldn’t risk the snakes, so I always took the detour.

The detour went down the hill behind Manna bakery, which sat on the corner opposite Bina Pani. It was two wood stumps and a stone oven, its inhabitants and chimney perennially smoking. Sometimes mom would send my brother and I to buy fresh pizza and warm bread, which we would finish on the way back down, clutching our ‘Tourist Go Home’ stickers.

The brook that babbled out from Bear Shola was so crisp that in summer we would wade in it and play catch, and have picnics of Enid Blyton sandwiches and lemon rice on its grassy banks. We knew Aachi’s cows in the pastures by name.

Our domestic help, Rani, my partner in crime, would catch fish, either out of our lake or the brook, both of which were safe then, or so we thought, and sneak us fried morsels. Jesse, who would go on to start Rendezvous at Pondicherry with her husband Vince, would make us pizza. We would scamper up the rocks above the falls with a grand plan to follow it to its source, then forget and stop to watch the Malabar whistling thrush sing and tell vidukathais, or riddles.

At night, on sleepovers, Rekha and I would sit on the roof of the ‘dish’, and signal with our torches in morse code to see if any smugglers in the woods responded. For those of us who were not boarders and would remain as the town emptied out in December, for some reason, the sole ice cream shop would open the Dasaprakash freezer near the football field. But there was also the comfort of hot cocoa from the Daily Bread, cinnamon buns from Jacob’s and fresh butter from the dairy. In the summer came tree tomatoes, orange bush berries, val beri, black plums if you knew where to look, peaches, and avocados mashed with sugar. And such good faith that we never locked our front doors.

What more does a town, or a childhood, need, but Kodai?

Gayatri Jayaraman

Gayatri Jayaraman is the author of Sit Your Self Down and the forthcoming Anitya . She is a columnist, and a mind-body spirit therapist, currently residing in Mumbai.

Dear Gayathri I studied in PCK in 3rd and 4th std I think in 1982 not sure but some of the girls are very familiar .I enjoyed reading your article. Are u familiar with Finnula the blonde hair from Sri Lanka? Anyways I am just longing to visit the school hope it’s the same as I heard there is going to be a renovation.

What a lovely article.I left PCK in 1972 and was in standard 6 then ..we shifted to Chandigarh. And nothing ever came close to my wonderful years spent there..under the green and gold…all your memories are in my minds eye though we were boarders and very few dayscholars …

A great article! I was at PCK in 1969. Still have fond memories!

A very nice article. My mother Miss Auxilia Morais was a teacher in PCK in the 1980’s. She taught science and tamil. The characters and the places you have depicted in your article were once told as stories by my mother. If any students of her’s happen to see this would love to connect you’ll with her.

The Kiddo-Kanal Talk Show: In My Time

Raising a Stink

Sacred Heart Matriculation Hr. Sec. School

HISTORY OF THE SCHOOL

Sacred Heart Mat. Hr. Sec. School ,Church Park, owes its sustained existence and strength to the Presentation Sisters of the Congregation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This congregation was originally founded by Nano Nagle, an Irish woman, who gave up a life of luxury and ease when she was only 22 to answer the call of God.

She undertook the task of educating the poor Catholic children of Ireland. Nano and her three companions opened the first Presentation Convent in Cork, Ireland, on Christmas Eve in 1775. Her exemplary life has inspired generations of women who have dedicated themselves to the betterment (service) of the less fortunate, especially in the field of education.

Nano remains an iconic figure in her homeland, where she was voted the greatest Irish person of all time in a national radio poll conducted in 2005. The congregation that she founded, has now spread across five continents.

In 1841, four Presentation Sisters set sail from Ireland for the distant and unknown shores of India. Mother Francis Xavier Curran, Superior of the Presentation Convent Rahan, Ireland accompanied these sisters from Maynooth. They accepted the invitation of Rev. Dr. Fennelly, who had recently taken over the Madras Mission, to serve the orphans of the Irish soldiers who had been killed in service under the British flag in India.

When the sisters arrived in Georgetown, Madras in 1842, they were given charge of a convent, a school and an orphanage. They quickly settled into their duties in Madras, braving cholera and not heeding the severity of the climate and the language problem.

In 1904, the sisters from the Georgetown community of the Presentation Sisters purchased a fine property with extensive grounds and large shady trees, called Church Park, in what became the heart of Madras.

The compound was originally meant to be a place of rest and change for the sisters from the Town convent. Later permission was obtained from Archbishop Colgan to make the Church Park foundation independent of the Georgetown Mother-house.

The Foundation stone for the new convent and school building was laid and blessed by His Grace, Most Reverend, Dr. Colgan on 8th September, 1909, during the incumbency of Rev.Mother Mary Xavier Murphy, an energetic and enterprising educationist. In 1910, the private school was opened at Church Park and well-to-do European residents of the locality enrolled their children in the new Sacred Heart School.

By 1917, Sacred Heart School obtained the recognition of the Madras government and was placed under the Code of Regulations for European Schools.

When a branch of the convent and school was opened in Kodaikanal, many parents sent their children from Sacred Heart Madras to the cooler climate of the hill station. The school applied for recognition under the Madras Educational Rules in 1932 and Indian children were admitted.

In 1952, Sacred Heart became a private matriculation school affiliated to the University of Madras. In 1954, the first batch of ten students wrote the Matriculation Examination. In 1978, the Higher Secondary section was inaugurated with the Science and Arts streams. The Commerce group was added four years later in 1982.

Initially, Sacred Heart School catered to girls and boys from privileged families, and aimed at molding and educating children to be part of genteel society. However, the birth of a new social consciousness led to the opening of its doors to children from varied backgrounds and economic strata.

In keeping with this change of focus in policy and aims, The Sacred Heart Tamil Medium School was started with 36 students in 1980 as one of the sections of the Matriculation School. This school now houses more than 600 girls in a building of its own.

The students of the English medium school are actively involved in the sister organization in many ways and help to tutor and mentor their friends in the Tamil medium school.

Besides a strong academic foundation with an equal emphasis on community development, the students of Sacred Heart are given every opportunity to learn and excel in sports and various extra-curricular activities.

The school is fortunate in its physical location in the heart of the city and is an oasis of space, greenery and playing fields.

Students have represented the school at the state and national levels in sports and games, winning awards and fame for their alma mater.

Theatre and literary pursuits and fine arts are given free expression at Sacred Heart and students have won recognition and prizes in national and international contests for their talents.

Sacred Heart provides its students high ethical standards in keeping with the school motto of 'For faith and morals'.

The school aims to bring out the best in all its students and to instill in them a sense of dignity and purpose in life that is so beautifully expressed in the words of the school song, "Stand brave and true under the green and gold."

Sacred Heart owes its success to the dedication of the pioneering Presentation sisters, others who have followed in their footsteps and the indispensable non-teaching staff and the gifted teachers-all these people have fostered critical thinking and education for social change in the students of this school.

These stalwarts of Sacred Heart have been a source of inspiration and encouragement, leaving a lasting impression in the minds of the students.

The alumnae of Sacred Heart have brought glory to its name by achieving excellence and fame in many fields. They have made significant contributions in different areas worldwide as educationists, social workers, civil servants, administrators, lawyers, doctors, scientists, media persons and performing artists and have brought laurels to themselves and their school.

The Parents and the P T A play a vital role in many endeavours, and collaborate with the management and staff for the benefit of the school.

Several projects and activities, like the recent construction of a new block, that houses a library and an Audio Visual Room, and the Centenary block has taken a concrete shape with the generous support of Sacred Heart parents ,alumni and the PTA

A hundred years have come and gone, and we find ourselves in a new millennium - an age of 'Nano'-technology . At Sacred Heart, our very own Nano Nagle remains in close communion with us, guiding our steps in the path of truth.

Today is a time of spiritual renewal and reflection, for us as educators, parents and students, to brave the rapidly changing, terror-stricken, media-driven world.

It is a time to take responsibility for protecting and preserving our environment, as we become increasingly aware of the interdependence of all forms of life on earth.

It is a time to return to balance the whole universe that has gone off its spiritual axis.

It is a time to realise and re-affirm our connectedness to the cosmos.

Educating the poor and marginalized in slums and villages
Creating a 'green zone' within the Sacred Heart School
An investment in solar power and other sustainable development activities

May we never forget that in everything we do, what is most important, as expressed in the words of Nano Nagle is the belief that "The Almighty is all-sufficient".

NEWS & EVENTS

FAREWELL ASSEMBLY ..

A special assembly was conducted on the 20th of March 2024, by the primary s...

WORKERS DAY ASSEMB..

Workers Day Assembly was held on 19.03.2024 in the school auditorium. Diya P...

Science and Maths ..

The students of stds.VI - IX participated in the Science and Maths Olympiad ...

Orientation Progra..

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” The first ste...

PRESENTATION CONVENT MATRICULATION HIGHER SECONDARY SCHOOL, NAIDUPURAM

UDISE Code: 33130501726

Year Of Establishment: 1920

Enrolment of the Students

Total Teachers: 23 Total Students: 412

Class Rooms: 35 Other Rooms: 8

PRESENTATION CONVENT MATRICULATION HIGHER SECONDARY SCHOOL, NAIDUPURAM, KODAIKANAL, DINDIGUL, TAMILNADU

Presentation convent matriculation higher secondary school, naidupuram, school type, other information, location map:, facilities :, building type : government, boundary wall :, no. of cwsn toilets :, drinking water availability :, no. of boys toilet :, no. of girls toilets :, hand wash facility :, functional generator :, reading corner :, book bank :, functional laptop :, functional desktop :, functional tablet :, functional scanner :, functional printer :, functional led :, functional digiboard :, functional web cam:, room details :, other rooms, student enrollment details :, total teachers : 23, nearby schools.

presentation convent school in kodaikanal

Interested in blogging for timesofindia.com? We will be happy to have you on board as a blogger, if you have the knack for writing. Just drop in a mail at [email protected] with a brief bio and we will get in touch with you.

Please note:

TOI will have complete discretion to select bloggers
TOI's decision in this regard will be final
There's no remuneration for blogging
TOI reserves the right to edit all blogs

Times Evoke
Entertainment
Spirituality
Environment
Foreign Media

Follow us on

The pink kohinoor.

Narayani Ganesh

A former associate editor of The Times of India, leader writer and editor of The Speaking Tree, Narayani Ganesh writes on issues concerning the environment, science and techno logy, travel and tourism, heritage, philosophy, spirituality and health. LESS ... MORE

From a historic, regal granite building to a pink apology, the government circuit house, aka Kohinoor Bungalow, has come a long way writes Narayani Ganesh from Kodaikanal.

As ninth graders in Presentation Convent, Kodaikanal, my friends and I have often sat with Sheikh Abdullah and his family in the school hall on Saturday evenings, when the nuns would organise a film screening for us. Sheikh Abdullah – father of Farooq Abdullah and grandfather of Omar Abdullah – was a guest of the government at Kohinoor Bungalow where he was placed under house arrest in 1965. The district collector of Madurai, T N Seshan, and senior police officials had escorted him to Kodaikanal from Madurai.

On some Saturdays he would accept the invitation of the Presentation nuns and come to the movie screening with his family, under heavy police escort.

Sometimes he would chat with students and other times, would remain silent.

From our dormitory building just across the road from Kohinoor Bungalow, we would sometimes see Mr Abdullah writing at his desk by the window, a bowl of red apples resting near his elbow. “You know, those apples are specially sent to him from Kashmir,” my dorm-mates would whisper in awe.

We knew he was someone politically important and that he was here temporarily, confined here perhaps for a couple of years.

To come back to the Kohinoor Bungalow – the building itself looked regal, its rich dark grey granite exteriors exuding that special charm so typical of hill station bungalows, with its sloping burnt orange tiled roofs and meticulously maintained garden. The driveway was swept clean every day and in the evenings, the large lamps atop the gateposts would glow warmly. We could no longer look inside the glass windows, as the curtains would now be drawn, firmly keeping out voyeurs like ourselves.

Sheikh Abdullah would walk every day around Kodai Lake, on the Lake Road, following the lake circumference of some five km, again, under police escort. Sometimes his wife or daughter or both would walk along with him, in their loose, pastel-coloured salwar-kameez, heads covered with their dupattas.

Well, that was nearly five decades ago! Walking down that same road this summer, from the famous Kurinji Andavar Temple, I was disappointed to see Kohinoor Bungalow on my left, painted a baby pink. Not an inch of granite stone was visible. And there was no garden to speak of, no freshly swept driveway, no Sheikh Abdullah writing at his desk on the first floor, by the window. And, no bowl of apples.

The Kohinoor Bungalow, Kodaikanal, where Sheikh Abdullah was kept under house arrest in the 1960s. It is now renamed Kohinoor Sheikh Abdullah Mansion.

To my right, I could see the Presentation Convent dormitory building from where we would peer across at Kohinoor. The school celebrated its centenary this year and has long since ceased to be an exclusive boarding school. Open to day scholars, and true to its missionary goal of serving the poor and needy, students come from all strata, and are all locals, I am told.

No more Irish nuns, nor tuck shops and midnight feasts by torchlight once the lights were out. Perhaps I will go visit the school one day. Thank God the granite walls are in tact, just as they were before.

Top Comment

{{{short}}} {{#more}} {{{long}}} ... Read More {{/more}}

Start a Conversation

Views expressed above are the author's own.

END OF ARTICLE

It’s not working: Are netas hearing young talk about jobs crisis?

It’s Our Carma: That the Pune teen who killed two isn’t already being tried as adult tells a lot about justice system

How to make elections civil again

Pune accident: Negligent parents have bigger responsibility in juvenile crimes

Courting the cops, always: SC order in the NewsClick case shows trial court judges are authorising detentions casually

4 ideas have won the election

Dear new govt, do get real

Only wave is the heatwave

Tragedy foretold

Murder of trees: Compensatory plantations cannot replace a forest

Blogs by Narayani Ganesh

‘Who decides what core values of nationalism are? Is dialogue possible or is it all exclusive?’
Love, distraction, separation and union
Kind, compassionate heart

TOI Edit Page,Voices

Bachi Karkaria

Erratica,TOI Edit Page,Tracking Indian Communities

Jug Suraiya

Juggle-Bandhi,TOI Edit Page

Speaking Tree

TOI Edit Page

TOP EDITORIALS

A generative AI learning pathway
Factors contributing to happiness

Contemporary extension and conservation of the Belgian convent, Kodaikanal

The Belgian Convent was started by Belgian nuns in the early 1900’s & the convent at Kodaikanal was constructed in 1916.

The nuns opened a school next door to the convent, St. John’s, and ran it for the underprivileged.

Dharatal undertook documentation of the heritage property and drafted a phased conservation proposal. The conservation restoration and extension were planned after study of chronology of construction and archival research.

Original stone façade and pitched tiled roof was proposed to be restored. An extension to the hostel block was planned as well.

Kodaikanal, Tamilnadu

wiki.Alumni.NET - Your Location Information Resource

Asia/India/Tamil Nadu/Kodaikanal/Presentation Convent High School/

From wiki.alumni.net.

Coordinates : 0°N 0°E 0 , 0

Presentation Convent High School

Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu, India
Telephone Numbers:
Official Website:
History & Memorable Moments
Overview, Photographs, & Video Links

Prospective Students

Admissions Tips

New & Current Students

Campus Events
Transportation
Safety Tips
Grading System
Good Classes & Teachers
Groups & Organizations
College & Career Tips
Benefits of Joining Alumni Association
Mailing List Directory
Amaran, Sangeetha (June 1981 - April 1989)
Alumni Directory
Alumni Events
Hotels Nearby
Restaurant Recommendations
Places of Worship
Sports Facility Access

Personal tools

Log in / create account
Main Wiki Page
Community portal
Recent changes
Random page
Iphone Wikimap
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Printable version
Permanent link

This page was last modified on 8 May 2008, at 06:02.
This page has been accessed 14,015 times.
Privacy policy
About wiki.Alumni.NET
Disclaimers

Top Convent School in Naidupuram
Top Convent School in Moonjikkal

Top convent school in Kodaikanal

St. john's convent school, presentation convent school, top searches, fix this listing.

Do you see an issue with our listing? Please report it to Laila.

Customer Login

Registration

About Us PRESENTATION CONVENT HR. SEC. SCHOOL

Presentation Convent Hr. Sec. School, Srinagar has a history of 84 glorious years in the field of education. We look back with a sense of gratitude and satisfaction at the enormous contribution this institution has made in the lives of all those who have passed through the portals of their Alma Mater. We now invite you to take a journey down the memory lane as we retrace our steps, to the journey which began in Ireland.

Back Bone Of Your School

The presentation sisters.

The Congregation of Presentation Sisters is a worldwide network of Catholic Religious Organization founded by the valiant and saintly woman- Nano Nagle in 1775, in Ireland. Living up to the legacy left behind by this visionary, the Presentation Sisters respond with compassion to the needs of those made poor and challenge the unjust structures, which threaten the dignity of the human persons. Today the Presentation Sisters and associates work in five continents across the globe and follow in the footsteps of Nano Nagle in promoting the rights and dignity of human persons. We are involved in a variety of ministries like education, holistic health, spirituality, faith formation, social, pastoral, legal consultancy, counseling, etc.

Today Presentation presence can be felt not only in the cities but also in the remote villages of India as well as other countries. We strive to keep the flame of Nano’s lantern burning bright by reaching out and touching the hearts of human persons, offering them support and a resolve to live with dignity and honour. We take up issues like human rights violations, protection of child right, exploitation of natural resources and gender discrimination. Our NGO status in the UN enables us to use the means of advocacy and lobbying to represent these issues effectively.

BEGINNING OF PRESENTATION CONVENT HIGHER SECONDARY SCHOOL

Maharaja Harisingh, the last ruler of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir required a distinguished school for the children of his subjects. So he requested the Head of the Church in Kashmir to request the Presentation Sisters of Rawalpindi to open a school in Srinagar. For this purpose the Maharaja allotted 10 acres of land on the banks of the pristine river Jhelum on lease. The founding members of Presentation Convent School, Srinagar were Mother Peter Conway, Mother Sacred Heart, Mother Annunciata and Mother Xavier. After receiving the invitation, the Sisters travelled from Rawalpindi via Uri and reached Kashmir after the journey of three days. On reaching Kashmir, the sisters rented a house on the banks of the Dal Lake at Boulevard and started their school on 17th March 1936. Most of the students were foreigners then mainly the children of British families living in Srinagar.

A few students from distinguished families were also admitted. The school had boarding facility in the initial years, which was discontinued later. While they stayed in the rented house in Boulevard and conducted classes there for the students, the actual building was being constructed at Rajbagh. The official functioning of school in Rajbagh began on 15th June, 1939. The cost of starting the first school and constructing the second school and the convent was borne by the government. The school was co-ed until 1977. We were granted recognition for B.A degrees for women but the college department was closed down in 1947 after the partition of India. The Govt. College for women was opened thereafter in a former palace building on the hotel road, later renamed as Maulana Azad Road. Unfortunately a devastating fire on 12th January 1965 completely destroyed the school building and the second storey of the house. The first storey and the impressive clock tower remained to tell the tale.

OUR PRESENCE TODAY

Located on the banks of the Jhelum river and surrounded by the lofty mountains, mighty oaks and majestic chinar trees, this temple of learning can boast of wonderful infrastructure and sprawling lush green grounds. The magnificent and enchanting clock tower still stands tall shrouded in mystery. Our school without doubt is a jewel in the crown of Kashmir valley and in a unique way it adds to the beauty of this paradise on earth. From the portals of this temple of learning have walked out thousands of young girls who have proved their mettle as they carved a niche for themselves in diverse fields within and outside the country. The school has successfully reached 84 years of excellence. From its modest beginnings in 1936, it has grown and spread its branches much like the awe-inspiring oak trees in the campus. The school celebrated its silver jubilee in 1961. The bicentenary of the death of Nano Nagle – the Foundress of Presentation Sisters was celebrated in 1984. The school crossed another mile stone when it celebrated its Golden Jubilee in 1986. The classical movie, ‘The Sound of Music’ was performed on stage by our students at Tagore Hall to mark the occasion. It was a mega success and it was appreciated by one and all. A school magazine was published on this occasion in which Dr. Karan Singh wrote, “I have the happiest recollections of my association with this school several decades ago when Mother Peter was the principal. In my autobiography ‘Heir apparent’, I have recorded how much I enjoyed going to this school and many years later my daughter Jyotsana also studied there.”

TERCENTENARY YEAR OF THE BIRTH OF VEN.NANO NAGLE-2018

Due to political situation of Kashmir from floods to social disruption of various types school was unable to involve students in other activities besides limiting them to bookish knowledge. Tercentenary year of the birth of Nano Nagle gave us another opportunity to involve students in exhibiting their talents in the form of an open day where Mrs. Mathoora Masoom KAS, Director, Department of Floriculture who is an alumni of the school graced the occasion as chief guest. Sr. Regi O Joseph inspired the staff and students to make a difference by taking this step of presenting an annual day differently. The open day itself was with a difference that every class was a venue for the variety entertainment programs beginning with a skit on Nano Nagle, titled -“The pilgrim path’’- which not only made everyone think differently but also pause for a while to make a shift in their attitude towards life, power, positions and money. Parents were touched by the variety of programs put up by their wards. It showcased students’ creativity, organizational skills, their giftedness, their ability to dream and work in a team towards achieving their dreams as well. Their self-confidence and passion for life was displayed in the street play where light was thrown on women empowerment, honouring girl child and gender equality. Demonstrations of working models, projects on save Dal lake, exhibitions of art and craft of Kashmir, graphic designing, debates and panel discussions on current affairs such as global warming, home-work a boon or a bane gave the students a platform to express their creativity and build up their self-confidence and leadership qualities. The issue of global warming created awareness on our contribution to the world changing scenario which is frightening as well as thought provoking. Healthy food and food habits together with a healthy life style with practice of Teikawando for self- defense made an impact on parents helping them to make a choice for a stress free life .The Lady with the lantern was seen moving around urging the audience to take one pace beyond by becoming partners with us in education, enlightenment and empowerment of one another and together making a difference in the world. Of-course, “we are the world, we are the people to make a difference in the world’’ resounded from all corners of the school in different voices. I am sure Nano would have been happy to see her lantern being carried on centuries after her life. Time and seasons move on as they will, imprinting on history the marks it has made on humans. In a world that seeks self -importance with might as right, we were challenged today to gamble our time and energy for love and to partner with others in ushering a new era where hatred will give way to compassionate love. Only when we are able to harness for God the energies of love we can become agents of transformation. Let us be the change we want to see in the world today. ……So let us take down our lantern…..for the world needs us.

We, at Presentation Convent Hr. Sec. School, Srinagar strive to create an internationally acclaimed institution whose foundation rests on the pillars of human values of truth, justice, equality and harmony in a collaborative environment. We aim at nurturing and empowering each student to discover the light within to realize her true potential by working in tandem with the Sustainable Development Goals for a better tomorrow. We believe in simple living and high thinking to meet the challenges of life with optimism, shared responsibility, life-long learning, sense of dynamism and deep rooted relationships leading to positivity and constructive transformation.

Our mission is to uphold the motto of our school ‘virtue and labour’ by providing value based quality education to the students, igniting their creativity and imagination, promoting life skills of critical thinking, problem solving and fostering in them love for nature. We encourage a spirit of tolerance, respect for one another and inclusiveness for global citizenship and holistic approach to life, leading to excellence with humility to serve the society as an exemplary citizen.

VEN. NANO NAGLE – THE LADY OF THE LANTERN

Nano Nagle – the Lady of the lantern, a woman who pioneered Catholic education in Ireland was born to very wealthy parents in 1718. This was a period in Irish history when the English imposed the oppressive Penal Laws, which severely limited the Irish people. It was a crime of treason to educate the Irish and it was forbidden to practice the Roman Catholic faith. Therefore, Nano had to leave the country and go to France to be educated. On her return to Ireland, the sight of the people who lived in appalling poverty, oppression and degradation deeply distressed Nano. Soon she set about alleviating the misery and improving the lot of the poor of Ireland. Nano knew that without education there could be no permanent change possible in the society. Realizing also that the Irish were deprived of both faith and education, at great personal risk, Nano opened her first hedge school in 1754 with an enrolment of 35 girls. Soon she had seven schools in and around Cork city. In this way she took a stand against some of the injustices of her time. Nano educated the poor children during the day, visited and nursed the sick and the suffering at night carrying a lantern. This lantern became a symbol of the Presentation Sisters throughout the world. In order to carry on the great task began by her, Nano founded the Presentation Congregation in 1775. After having spent her life in service of the poor and the downtrodden, Nano Nagle, the trailblazer went to her eternal reward on 26th April 1784. It is to be mentioned here that in the year 2005, Nano Nagle was voted as Ireland’s greatest woman of the millennium for her contribution in the field of education and in particular for pioneering girls’ education in Ireland. Nano’s spirit of selflessness, her undaunted spirit, her determination in the face of persecution, her struggle for justice, her devotion to the poor and her particular love for the children have become a source of inspiration for all the Presentation Sisters all over the world.

PLATINUM JUBILEE – 2011

The year 2011 was a land mark in the history of PCHSS, celebrating 75 years of unwavering devotion and commitment of all the sisters and staff members who have worked tirelessly for the cause of education in the valley. On this momentous occasion, a musical extravaganza“ Annie” was performed by the students under the able guidance of Mr. George Puliankala and his team. On 27th July, Mr. Omar Abdullah, Chief Minister, Jammu & Kashmir was the Chief Guest along with many other VIP’s forming the line of Guests of Honor His Excellency Mr. N.N Vohra, Governor, Jammu & Kashmir and Most Rev. Dr. Peter Celestine, Bishop of Jammu Srinagar Diocese. Sr. Jyoti, the Principal of school expressed her gratitude for all those who have gone before us on whose shoulders we stand and all the students who participated, audience and well-wishers for their supportive presence.

225th DEATH ANNIVERSARY OF NANO NAGLE

On 8th and 9th September 2009, the 225th death anniversary of Nano Nagle was celebrated in a grand manner. On the 8th Mr. Omar Abdullah, the honourable Chief Minister of J & K State was the chief guest. He inaugurated the newly constructed Nagle Block on the same day. The building was blessed by Rev. Dr.Peter Celestine, Bishop of Jammu, Srinagar diocese. On the 9th Mr. Peerzada, the honourable minister for Education was the chief guest. All the students from class I to IX participated in the two days’ cultural programme and the parents of all the students were invited to witness the performance of their wards. The parents were enthralled and spellbound by the excellent performance of their children. The commencement of higher secondary was a long cherished dream come true for all of us. The First batch of class XI students were given admission in December 2009.

Jacques Philips

Awesome services.

Explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you completed.

Venanda Mercy

Great & talented team.

The master-builder of human happines no one rejects, dislikes avoids pleasure itself, because it is very pursue pleasure.

James Fernando

Wonderful support.

They have got my project on time with the competition with a sed highly skilled, and experienced & professional team.