A flood of fond memories came rushing at the third DPS-Modern Indian School (DPS-MIS) Alumni Meet last week. On the nostalgia-fuelled occasion that saw old students and teachers reunite amidst a swelling of emotions, around 150 alumni, who had flown down from India, UAE, Bahrain, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Malaysia, converged at their beloved school’s premises and walked away clutching on to a memorable December day.
The evening was flagged off with a welcome note from anchors Vinutha Ramodorai and Nikita Navneeth, and was followed by a dance that got the crowd cheering. Nayana Singh, the head girl, graciously welcomed the alumni. A video montage filled with video clips and pictures from the bygone years was played, evoking waves of sweet nostalgia in the audience. Soon, the students from grades 9, 10 and 11 took to entertaining the alumni with their song and dance performances. 
Yasir Nainar, the vice-president, implored the alumni to contribute to their alma mater by becoming teachers in their school. He reckoned teaching as a noble profession, highlighting the dire need for good teachers in school so as to mould the young learners into “intellectually aware and responsible citizens”. Sonny Varghese, the director, encouraged students to forge a passionate bond with their alma mater as it has played a prominent role in shaping their characters and lives.
Asna Nafees, principal of DPS-MIS, told Community, “The alumni association was initiated with the noble intention of establishing a healthy relationship with the student community of our school that is spread across the world. By providing the opportunity for students to serve their alma mater, we carry forward the school’s motto of Service before Self. Our students have come back to us and have involved themselves with the teaching-learning process. It also gives us immense happiness to see our students giving back to the school that has moulded them, and at the same time watch them grow in their chosen careers.”
The members of the Alumni Committee also addressed the audience and were happy to see the growing number of alumni with each passing year. They disclosed their future course of action, which was hailed by everyone present. Many alumni also shared their experiences and fond memories, acknowledging the role of teachers in their lives and reminiscing about the fun times they had at school. They also shared their experiences at their respective universities.
A Ganeshkumar, the head boy, proposed the vote of thanks, while Principal Nafees thanked the alumni for attending the event and encouraged them to form a stronger bond with the DPS family. The school has graduated 10 batches so far, the first of which was in 2007. The school authorities were pleased to point out that DPS alumni are studying in excellent universities all over the world, including the universities of Harvard, Princeton, Rice, Weill Cornell, NUS, UC Berkeley, Pennsylvania, Perdue, and, not to forget, the IITs and NITs in India. They are also associated with some of the best companies worldwide.
The evening ended with a delicious dinner arranged by the school management in honour of the alumni. This event helped the alumni reconnect and strengthen their bonds with their alma mater.
This month also saw DPS-MIS’ senior wing celebrating the 16th Annual Day with zest and grandeur in its state-of-the-art auditorium. The cultural extravaganza, based on the theme Umeed-e-Bahaar (Seasons of Life), portrayed “the power of hope to navigate through the challenges and quandaries and continue the odyssey of life with radiance and splendour”. 
From an enchanting musical presentation by the senior school choir in collaboration with the school orchestra, to an Arabic dance presented by children as an ode to the strong bond between India and Qatar, the annual day celebration had several highlights. The occasion also unfolded “the saga of accolades and achievements” accomplished by the students of classes VI to XII for their exemplary all-round performance in the year 2015-16. Teaching and the non-teaching staff of DPS-MIS who have completed 10 and 15 eventful years were awarded with a memento for their dedication and sincerity.