Media Release
Mangaluru, Jan 14: St Aloysius School witnessed a historic and unique record-breaking reunion ever organised by its 1995 SSLC batch of classmates. The event was held on January 3 at St Aloysius School Primary School Hall where around 120 plus batch mates of SSLC batch of 1995 and 30 plus teaching and non-teaching staff joined to celebrate 30 years of graduating from St Aloysius High School.
The batchmates and the teachers felt more like a homecoming than a celebration. The current school brass band, gleaming in their polished uniforms, rolled out a jubilant fanfare that escorted the former classmates through the historic corridors and into the auditorium, their trumpets echoing the first notes of a day long-awaited.
It was a sight to behold: every alumnus clad in a newly designed T-shirt that borrowed the deep navy and crisp white of the old school uniform, the school emblem proudly emblazoned on the chest. The T-shirts were more than fabric—they were a badge of shared memories, a silent promise that the bond forged in 1995 still held fast.
A gentle hum of conversations the group settled down for a hearty breakfast, laughing over coffee and recalling the mischief of their school days. Teachers, now seasoned mentors, joined the table, their faces lit with the same affection they had shown three decades ago.
The formal programme began with a warm welcome to the distinguished guests, followed by the ceremonial lighting of the lamp by
1. Rector Fr Melwyn Pinto S J – Rector of the institution
2. Fr Denzil Lobo S J – past rector
3. Fr Johnson Pinto S J - correspondent
4. Fr JB Mendonsa S J – headmaster of school while batch mates were students.
5. Jositta, the headmistress of the primary school retired teacher Anita Nazareth.
6. Dhiraj Bhandary, Sunil Nelson Titus, Tharan D’Souza and Pradeep Prabhu – the batch mates.
—its flame symbolising the undimmed spirit of StAloysius. Then, as if on cue, all the alumni rose together to sing the school anthem. The familiar melody swelled, and goose bumps rose on backs; for many, tears slipped unnoticed down cheeks, each note a thread weaving the past into the present.
A minute of silence was observed in remembrance of our departed teachers and batch-mates.
A light hearted interlude followed: a montage of video testimonials of teachers, each clip a pocket sized story—some humorous, some touching projected onto the screen.
Soon after, the stage was graced by the teachers and non teaching staff who had guided the batch through their formative years. They were called up and received traditional felicitation with heartfelt applause.
Several beloved teachers including
1. Shambu Shetty sir
2. Ramachandra Bhat sir
3. Sarvajna Achar sir
4. Joyce teacher
5. Joseph sir
and the ever spirited Celestine took the microphone, their voices tinged with nostalgia, to share anecdotes, gratitude, and wishes for the future of their once young proteges and their families.
Arun Rego and Nitin Alfrancis Dias were master of ceremonies for the event.
Neil Rodrigues thanked the gathering. In his speech he thanked the organizing committee of the batchmates which included Sunil Nelson Titus, Tharan D’Souza, Dhiraj Bhandhary, Vivek Shet, Arun Rego, Nithin Alfrancis Dias, Roshan Anthony D’Souza, Vinod Patrick Noronha, Nanda Kishore, Mithil VP, Bradley Noronha, Subodh Shetty and Pradeep Prabhu.
The ceremony drew to a close with a collective photograph, the alumni posing side by side with the teachers—generation after generation united under the same banner. The final note was the resonant singing of the national anthem, voices harmonizing in unison, a testament to the shared values that St?Aloysius had instilled in them.
With the formalities behind them, the reunion flowed into a convivial lunch. Tables brimming with assorted dishes became the backdrop for stories that leapt across the years—career triumphs, family milestones, and the occasional “remember when?”—all seasoned with the warm spice of camaraderie.
The batchmates had their informal meet on the same day at ‘Summer Sands’, where it witnessed jamming (music) session led by Subodh Shetty, Roven Roche, Dr Nameeth D’Souza and Mithil VP. Dr Nameeth D’Souza sang the one of the most favourite songs of 1970 ‘Hotel California’. Arun Rego and other sang Konkani, Kannada and Hindi songs of early 1980s and 1990s. At last the boys never forgot to shake their legs and body to tunes of local baila music and tiger dance beats.
As the day waned, the alumni departed with hearts full, promising to keep the thread of St Aloysius alive in the years to come. The 30th reunion was not merely a glance backwards; it was a celebration of enduring friendships, timeless teachings, and the ever bright flame of a school that continues to shape lives—thirty years on, and still as vibrant as ever.