The Valedictory Function of the 5^th edition of the Indian Schools Film Fest (ISFF), an annual event organized under the aegis of the Board of Directors of Indian Schools in the Sultanate of Oman was held on Sunday, 28^th January 2024 at Indian School Al Seeb Auditorium.

Mrs. Mahfoudha Mubarak Al Araimi, Director General for Labour, Muscat Governorate graced the function as Chief Guest. Mr. Lal Jose, renowned South Indian Film Director, Producer and Actor was the Celebrity Guest on the occasion. Dr. Sivakumar Manickam, Chairman, Board of Directors, Indian Schools Oman presided over the function.

The programme was attended by Mr. Shameer PTK, Vice Chairman, Mr. Nidheesh Kumar, Director in Charge, Mr. Vijay Saravanan, Director on Board, Mr. Vinobha M. P. Senior Principal and Education Advisor, Mr. Krishnan Raman, President of the School Management Committee, Members of the School Management Committee, Principals, Teachers and students of different Indian Schools in Oman.

This 5^th edition of ISFF with the tagline ‘Imagine, Ignite, Influence’ had an array of genres such as Short Film, Animated Film, HSE Video Creation, Ad Making, Reels, Travelogue, and Educational Movie for the students and facilitators to unleash the spark of their ingenuity.

Mr. Krishnan Raman, the President of the School Management Committee welcomed the august gathering and spoke about the educational significance of the Film Fest.

Dr. Sivakumar Manickam underscored the significance of the Film Fest in his address. “The purpose of the film fest organized by the Indian School Board is to give a hands on experience to our students on the nuances and techniques of film making and to make them aware of the numerous avenues open to them in this domain,” Dr. Manickam said. He lauded the efforts of Indian School Al Seeb in harnessing maximum participation for the event.

Principal Dr. Leena Francis gave a presentation compiling the exciting phases and vibes of the film fest and threw light on the acumen and creativity of the participants. The School Coordinators were felicitated by Vice Chairman Mr. Shameer PTK, Director in Charge Mr. Nidheesh Kumar and Director on Board Mr. Vijay Saravanan.

Nritanjali, a classical dance performed by the students enthralled the audience by its grace and expressive choreography. Retro to Metro was another dance performance which captured the evolution of dance, music and costume, inviting audience to experience the joyous fusion of past and present.

The keynote address by the renowned film producer Mr. Lal Jose inspired the audience with his personal experience of transformation that films had on him. Chief Guest Mrs. Mahfoudha Mubarak Al Araimi, Director General for Labour, Muscat Governorate along with the Celebrity Guest and Chairman gave away the prizes and certificates to the winners of different genres of film making.

Irresistible euphoria swept across the assembly reached the peak statures of excitement as the Vice Chairman announced Indian School Al Maabela as the overall champions. The coordinator of the winning school team flaunted the coveted trophy in great exultation.

Film Fest was organized in three categories which included Junior (Grade VI to VIII), Senior (Grade IX to XII) and Open Category which could have children of any level. Facilitators of Schools and Children with Special Needs also participated in this mega event. Earlier last month, workshops were held to guide and train the participants on the nuances of filmmaking.

The festivities of the 5^th Edition of ISFF concluded with great memories of fine aesthetic moments brought in by the budding movie makers and their teams. The school choir sang the school anthem, bringing down the curtains of a festive season of anticipation, excitement, and enthusiasm.

The prestigious ‘Navin Asher-Kazi Awards for Excellence in Teaching’ instituted by the Board of Directors of Indian Schools in Oman,were conferred on teachers from Indian Schools in the Sultanate of Oman at a ceremonious function organized on 18th January 2024 at Indian School Bousher.
His Excellency Shaikh Faisal Abdullah Al Rawas, Chairman, Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry, graced the occasion as the Chief Guest. Professor Nutayla Al Harthy, Dean, Oman Dental College, Muscat was the Guest of Honour and Keynote Speaker.Dr. SivakumarManickam, Chairman, Board of Directors, Indian Schools in Oman presided over the function.
The function was attended by Mr. Kiran Asher and family, the patrons of the Award; Shaikh Anil Khimji, Director, KhimjiRamdas Group of Companies; Mrs. Reena Jain, First Secretary, Embassy of India; Vice Chairman Mr. Shameer PTK and other esteemed members of the Board of Directors, Indian Schools Oman; Former Chairpersons Mr. Yusuf Nalwala and Mr. Sandeep Arora; Members of the Board of Directors, Presidents, Principals and the recipients of the Awards for Excellence in Teaching and their families.
In the introductory address Dr. SivakumarManickam, Chairman, Board of Directors, underscoredthe significant role teachers play in the lives of students. The Chairman thanked Mr. Kiran Asher and his family for their generous support in organizing the event for the tenth consecutive year.
“Awards for Excellence in Teaching’ is an annual event designed to encourage, reward, and acknowledge sustained excellence in teaching. The award recognizes excellence in teaching practices that reflect the highest standards in pedagogy, a record of outstanding teaching effectiveness within and outside the classroom, the ability to inspire, promote and sustain the intellectual, emotional and social development of students,” Dr. Manickam said.
His Excellency Shaikh Faisal Abdullah Al Rawas inspired the audience with his insightful thoughts on the role of teachers in society. Quoting the “The quality of a nation depends on the quality of its citizens, and the quality of its citizens depends on their education. The quality of education, in turn, depends on its teachers, who are the backbone of any nation,” said His Excellency Al Rawas.
Guest of Honour and Keynote Speaker Professor Nutayla Al Harthy narrated instances of greatness of teachers from her own personal life. Professor Al Harthy highlighted the contribution the Indian Schools in Oman have given with reference to the large number of students studying in 21 Indian Schools across the Sultanate of Oman. “Teachers play a pivotal role not only in imparting education in classrooms but also making students successful in life by imparting values and life skills such as supportive acts service, self-discipline and commitment,” Prof. Al Harthy said.
The teachers who won this prestigious award in different categories are Mrs. ZahidaFaizParkar (Indian School Al Wadi Al Kabir) and Mrs. Asha FayasSait (Indian School Al Maabela) in the Kindergarten category;Mrs. DelphyUmesh and Mrs. Rassia C.A. from Indian School Al Maabelain the Primary School Category; Mr. Pradeep Ramaswamy (Indian School Al Maabela) and Mrs. ParvathyBabu (Indian School Sur) in the Middle School Category;Mrs. Indira Sukumaran (Indian School Sohar) and Mrs. AmpiliSundaresan (Indian School Nizwa) in the Senior School Category; Mrs. Sumitra Badoni (Indian School Al Maabela) and Mr. Yeldo T. Ouseph (Indian School Muscat) in the Co-scholastic Category.
In addition to the above, thirty-three teachers in different categories were given Certificates of Recognition for their outstanding contribution in the field of education.Mr. Suresh V.S., Principal, Indian School Ibri and Mr. Santha Kumar Dasari, Principal, Indian School Buraimi were recognized for their long service as Principals in their respective schools. Dr. Alka Singh of Indian School Sohar was felicitated for obtaining Ph.D. for her research in Zoology.
Mrs. Jayshree Asher and Mrs. Jesal Asher Rajda gave away certificates and prizes to the winners of teachers’ competition organized as part of the Navin Asher-Kazi Awards for Excellence in Teaching. The competition was to showcase Teaching Learning Material designed by teachers for making teaching and learning more interactive and interesting.
Mrs. AmbikaPadmanabhan (Indian School Bousher), Mr. MVSR Somayajulu (Indian School Muscat) and Mrs. KavithaAshokan (Indian School Al Maabela) won the first three positions in the digital category; whereas Mrs. SandhyaRakesh (Indian School Jalan), Mrs. SoumiSaji (Indian School Al Maabela) and Mrs. J. Infancy Jermila Rani (Indian School Sohar) won the first three positions in the category of physically crafted teaching learning material.
The cultural programme put up on the occasion by the students of Indian School Bousherenchanted the audience.The programme ended with the vote of thanks proposed by Mr. ShanmughamPurushothaman, President of the Indian School Bousher Management Committee.