Principal’s Note
Chandra Bhushan Panday
“There is no greater gift one human being can give to another than the opportunity to learn and grow in a loving and nurturing environment.”
I extend sincere congratulations to the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha Inc. on its Golden
Anniversary (1952 – 2002). The Founding Fathers, some fifty years ago, took the
bold step of initiating and developing an education programme to cater specifically
to the needs of the Indian community. Today, a mere fifty years later, this programme
has exploded to the point that the Hindu schools are among the best in the country,
catering to nationals from all walks of life. None of this could have been achieved
had it not been for these great and blessed souls who braved the social climate of the day and fought under some very trying conditions for what they believed.
I also extend sincere congratulations to Mr.
Satnarayan Maharaj, Secretary General
of the SDMS, who celebrates his Silver Anniversary (1977 – 2002) in this post. Mr.
Maharaj has single handedly transformed the SDMS into a powerhouse and it is under
his astute leadership and guidance that the organization, instead of remaining stagnant,
has grown from strength to strength.
He is a man with a vision and it is this vision
that has brought us into the 21st Century.
If only the Founding Fathers could have been alive today to witness the transformation
that has occurred, the prominence of the SDMS, the million dollar school structures,
the quality of principals
and teachers, the expansion of the school building programme
to include secondary schools, the cultural explosion…only if…They would have been
so pleased…so proud…so elated…so thankful…only if.
The El Dorado South Hindu School also holds a very special place in these celebrations,
as it also celebrates its Golden Anniversary. In 1952, at the start of the SDMS
school building programme, six schools were opened. El Dorado Hindu School was one
of these six – Today the El Dorado South Hindu School stands on the site of the
original structure. Many principals, teachers, parents and students have collectively
contributed to the success of the school
over the years.
To all those students who
have had a successful passage through the walls of the institution, I trust that
as alumnae you will continue to maintain links and help us to provide the best quality
education to our students. Many thanks to all staff and parents for an absolutely
magnificent fifty years.
Our school community is very united by our shared mission in doing what is best
for our students. This means that all decisions are made, no matter how large or seemingly trivial, by focusing on the needs of the students. We are certainly blessed
to have a school community that provided a special level of staff and parent energy
collaboration. We are also very fortunate in having a teaching staff with great
expertise as well as passion for their craft.
Educational reform is very prevalent today and this reform requires school to initiate
change. While change for the sake of change is not desirable, we at the El Dorado
South Hindu School are of the firm conviction that change for the well being of
our student population is indeed our focus. We have plans to continue to strive
to provide the best educational experience possible for the children through a well
thought out plan of action.
This plan requires parental support and involvement and we urge all parents to be
active participants in the education of your children. After all we intend to promote
the intellectual, personal and social growth, equipping our children to succeed
in an ever-changing world.
The dream of the Founding
Fathers must live on.