Three hundred and eighty students out of a total of 800 took part in The Alexandra Girls’ English Institution’s (AGEI) 160th anniversary celebrations held at the Sophia Bhabha Auditorium on September 3, 2024. "Alextainment, Experience the Brilliance”
marked the culmination of the celebrations to commemorate 160 years of the founding of the school. The event was two months in the making, principal Kashmira Sarkari told Parsiana after the event.
The dance segment "Aparajita (Undefeated)” protrayed the many forms of goddess Durga, with a dozen-and-a-half girls sashaying in differently draped saris from eastern India. For the ultra-violet (UV) light show, "Starry night,” Sarkari said, "Special props were created on which the UV light reflected. The idea was to signify that a small sapling planted in 1863 (the founding of the school with a handful of girls) has turned into a tree.”
Commending the efforts that had gone into the preparation of the event, chairman of the board of trustees Dr Jehangir Mistry stated it was the Institution’s endeavor to ensure a "safe, happy and immersive learning experience” for students. The school plans to introduce certificate courses in music and art this academic year, he mentioned. A slick video film made in-house by the computer science teachers traced the school’s history from its founding by Manockjee Cursetjee and paid tribute to the foresight of the founder. "The teachers learnt animation and then used the software to its fullest… The concept was theirs… and the voiceover and script was by yours truly,” Sarkari told Parsiana.
A souvenir planned by the principal and executed by the in-house graphic designer, with articles curated by the literary and debating society was released by trustee-directors Mistry, Nergish Charna and directors Ruby Pavri, Homiyar Vakil, Zubin Billimoria and Hoshaang Gotla. Trustee-director Nawshir Mirza and director Dr Shehernaz Nallwala were not present.
Top: New school logo; above, from l: releasing the souvenir (middle row) Ruby Pavri, Jenefer Chesan, Kashmira Sarkari;
front row: junior school head teacher Tanaz Patel, Zubin Billimoria, Dr Jehangir Mistry, Nergish Charna, Homiyar Vakil,
Hoshaang Gotla, vice principal Ritu Malik; bottom row: dances
The principal credited her core team of vice principal Jenefer Chesan, administrator Rohintan Elavia and choreographer Amit Jhadhav for the success of the program. "The team chose themes like body positivity, self-confidence, girl empowerment for the show. It’s no longer a ‘give-SSC-and-get-married culture,’” she stated.
Other events that marked the milestone year were the unveiling of a new logo and a collection drive for 160 items (see "Alexandra is 160,” Events and Personalities, Parsiana, September 21, 2023), an inter school fest "Alexcellencia” and an alumni dinner. The year 2024 also marks a centenary since a girl guide program was introduced in the school (see "Guiding for a century,” Parsiana, November 21-December 6, 2023). Farrokh Jijina