Schooling- A visit to my 8th Class School

Today at basketball sessions, one person asked if I have studied in my hometown (Kadapa). '8th Class' I studied in this place, I replied. Looks like studying in hometown is one kinda validation for being called as local. 

I returned home and found my old school lit up and had a big banner welcoming people for it's Annual Day. I walked into the school to check out the annual day. Structure wise, nothing has changed, except renovation of few sheds into 2 storey building. The trees have grown bigger, the ground is still the same size.

I stayed a bit and saw students performing skits and dances and one of the almamater spoke on stage describing how the school has shaped the personality. 

True, that schools are the places where we build friendships without much expectations,  meet different teachers and act according to their personalities- if teacher is lenient, one can afford to be naughty and skip homeworks at times but, if teacher is notorious for his punishments, very few students dare to meddle with those teachers. 

Also, schools are less about what's taught in classes and what happens outside the classrooms. The lunches, gang huddles, assemblies, stage performances, sports, debates. A school can be called a school, only if it has a ground to play. If a school doesn't have a play ground, I pity the kids who attend those kind of  schools. 

I enjoyed strolling around the school I attended 15 years ago. I looked at the path, I often used to reach to my class, rather than the usual stairs, to escape the uniform check after the assembly time. 

I relooked at the notice board that still looks the same, excep the glass added to it. The path way to computer labs, the corridors where we could run without a worry. 

In my 8th class, I've directed a play and got all my friends, classmates to perform in it. Pio and there were few other classmates who were in it. Back then, Sister Anitha was the driving force and a huge support system to my studies as well as co-curricular activities. 

I could think of my classmates, Yamini, Sudeshna, Kareem, Rony, Srikanth, Amulya, Ibrahim, Zoya, Ayesha, Vennela, Sushmitha Priya, Ajay, Madhuri, Shireen,Gopal, Adil and many more. Ayesha was my only competitor in studies. Many of them were my good friends. I was friendly with everyone. Back then I was also the class monitor. I was the one who'd always go around and keep talking. Reflecting now, I could say that I was diligent in my work and always followed whatever Sister Anitha instructs. She is one of the sweetest English teachers I had. The last time I know of her, she got relocated to  countrylands of Africa and is continuing her service there. 

Happy to visit the school after a long time.