A Farewell Address for SR. PHYLLIS
It seems only yesterday that sister phyllis walked into her office and took charge
as principal of loreto house. since then, the time has flown and all too soon, we
have to bid her farewell.
The first thing that strikes us about sister is how eminently approachable she is.
no matter whether it is in the five minutes before assembly or when she is already
speaking to someone in her office, sister was always ready to lend a listening ear
to someone in trouble,assess the situation and give a courteous and considered reply.
her courtesy, acumen and accessibility made her an ideal principal to work with.
I think my students and colleagues will agree when i say that sister is more active
and energetic than many of us. she has that magic ability to be in five different
places at once. this we noticed during our annual concert and sport’s day drill
when she would pop up with disconcerting suddenness at our practices with accurate
observations and often helpful suggestions. once, when i remarked on this ability,
she replied with a smile that it was the children who kept her young.
Indeed, sister is a person who is truly young at heart. we all remember her dancing
with the students at the end of the campaign against hunger and disease when the
rest of us sought the shade of the classrooms. it was her spirit of fun and fellowship
which led her to initiate the secret santa game among the teachers and we remember
her dancing with santa to the music of the christmas carols. the lights of the christmas
tree and the colourful gifts we had brought for each other at its base, together
with the merriment and jollity of the occasion lit a warm glow in our hearts.
Sister had boundless faith in her staff and in her students. with her encouragement,
we undertook the impossible and made it a reality. whether it was the rainbow home
christmas party for 600 girls or whether it was organising an annual concert completely
on our own, sister was the driving force with her cheerful faith in mary ward’s
maxim ‘do your best and god will help’. and whatever we did, she was always ready
with her words of warm appreciation to cheer us on.
Sister, i hope we can continue to do our best in our humble way and uphold your
legacy in the school.
With gratitude and respect,
Mrs. Raka das
English teacher (ISC)
Loreto house school
7 middleton row
Calcutta 700071