Udupi/M’Belle: Mrs. Sarojini Kamath given warm send off on her retirement

By Eugene DSouza
Bellevision Media Network

Udupi, 29 Nov 2014: Mrs. Sarojini Kamath, headmistress and popular  science teacher of St. Lawrence Kannada Medium High School, Moodubelle was given a warm send off on her retirement after 39 years of fruitful service to the institution by the management, staff and students on Saturday, 29 November 2014 at 11 am  in St. Lawrence PU College Hall.

 

The send off function was presided over by Rev. Fr. Joswey Fernandes, Correspondent of St. Lawrence Educational Institutions. Rev. Fr. Clement Mascarenhas, Secretary of Catholic Education Society of Udupi (CESU) was the chief guest. Other dignitaries on the dais included Rev. Fr. Paul Sequeira, Principal of St. Lawrence PU College, Rajendra Shetty, President of Belle Grama Panchayat, J.B. Miranda, member of the Managing Committee, Devdas Hebbar, President of the Old Students Association, P.D. Kamath, husband of Mrs. Sarojini Kamth and retired teacher from the same institute and Mrs. Sarojini Kamath.

 

The programme began with the prayer sung by the high school students.  In his welcome address, Rev. Fr. Paul Sequeira highlighted the fine qualities of Mrs. Sarojini Kamath.  On behalf of St. Lawrence Kannada Medium High School, Prajwal Nayak of 10th standard and on behalf of St. Lawrence PU College, Vinyas Pai of First Year PU Science paid rich tributes to Mrs. Sarojini Kamath who had endeared to the student community by her dedicated teaching and loving care of the students. Mrs. Chandrakala B., Kannada  lecturer in St. Lawrence PU College narrated her memories of her association with Mrs. Sarojini Kamath and recalled her fine qualities as a human being and teacher.

 

Mrs. Sarojini Kamath along with her husband P.D. Kamath were honoured by the dignitaries on the dais by offering them shawl, garlands, fruits, memento and the citation which was earlier read out by  Srinivas Ballal who will be succeeding Mrs. Sarojini Kamath as Headmaster of St. Lawrence Kannada Medium High School.

 

 

 

Rajendra Shetty first felicitated Mrs. Sarojini Kamath on behalf of the Belle Grama Panchayat by offering her a bouquet. Students of high school and PU College greeted their beloved teacher by offering flowers and touching her feet.

 

Rajendra Shetty, Devdas Hebbar and Rev. Fr. Clement Mascarenhas speaking on this occasion wished Mrs. Sarojini Kamath good health and happy retirement. Devdas Hebbar who happend to be the old student of Mrs. Sarojini Kamath recalled his days as a student and praised her for her effective teaching, care and love of students and her concern about their welfare and success.

 

In her reply to the honour on the occasion of her retirement, Mrs. Sarojini Kamath traced her career as a teacher and her entry into the institution. She recalled how she was appointed as a teacher by late V.G.F. Rego, Headmaster and Correspondent of St. Lawrence Kannada Medium High School and gratefully remembered him and succeeding Correspondents, Headmasters and Principals of St. Lawrence Composite PU College who had reposed their faith in her and supported her in all her endeavours. She further said that in the life of a teacher there is no greater joy and happiness than to know that the students taught by him of her have achieved success in their lives and have shaped into good and responsible human beings and citizens of the country.

 

Rev. Fr. Joswey Fernandes in his presidential address appreciated the long service of 39 years rendered by Mrs. Sarojini Kamath to the institution. He said that every human being is endowed with gifts from God, and Mrs. Sarojini Kamath was endowed with the gift of teaching and she used this gift to teach science to the students in which she excelled. He wished her a happy retired life.

 

Clive Quadros, College Pupil Leader (CPL) proposed the vote of thanks. John Castelino, teacher in St. Lawrence Kannada Medium High School anchored the programme.

 

The family members of Mrs. Sarojini Kamath, former colleagues of Mrs. Sarojini Kamath and invitees  were present for the send off function.

 

About Mrs. Sarojini Kamath:

Mrs. Sarojini Kamath was born on 5 November 1954 as the last among six children, three sons and three daughters  of Devendra Nayak and Sanjeevi of Mattar in Shirva village. She had her primary education in Mutlapadi Hindi Primary School, Mattar, Secondary education in Hindu Composite PU College, Shirva and graduated with B.Sc. degree in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics from MGM College, Udupi. Later, she took up B.Ed. course in TMA Pai College of Education, Udupi.

 

Having found an opening in the teaching field in St. Lawrence High School, Moodubelle, Mrs. Sarojini Kamath joined as Graduate Assistant  Teacher on 9 June  1975 and since then has been serving the institution as science teacher with great dedication and sincerity and will be retiring at the end of November 2014, after putting in 39 years and 6 months as a teacher in one institution.

 

When Ms. Sarojini was in the Second Year B.Sc., her parents fixed her marriage with P.D. Kamath (17 May 1973) who was teaching in St. Lawrence High School. However, Ms. Sarojini had a strong  desire to be a teacher. With that determination and support from  her husband PD Kamath, Mrs. Sarojini Kamath continued her degree education and later completed B.Ed. course that was required to enter the teaching service.  Mrs. Sarojini Kamath says that she was fortunate to secure the teaching opportunity in the same institution where her husband too was working.

 

 

 

As a science teacher, Mrs. Sarojini Kamath has been quite popular among the students. By her simple language and easy approach, Mrs. Sarojini Kamath could make difficult science lessons comprehensible to even the average students.  She could remove the science phobia from the minds of the students and create an interest among them in that subject.

 

Mrs. Sarojini Kamath had an interest in making science models since her student days. Even as a teacher she used to guide the students to prepare various science models for competitions and many times the science models prepared by her students had won various prizes including first prize  in different  competitions.  Students trained by her in science quiz have been winning prizes in E-Quest as well as Brain Quest organized during Pratibha Karanji competitions.

 

With the retirement of Mrs. Hilda Aranha from 1 September 2014, Mrs. Sarojini Kamath has been designated as the Senior Teacher of St. Lawrence Kannada Medium High School, the position that she will hold till her retirement by the end of November 2014.

 

With a caring and sensitive nature, Mrs. Sarojini Kamath has been helping a number of needy students in their studies as well as other material needs associated with the studies such as books and uniforms. Manifesting her mother-like affection towards the students, Mrs. Sarojini Kamath has won admiration and affection from thousands of students who have studied science subjects from her.

 

PD Kamath, husband of Mrs. Sarojini Kamath had been   teaching as Graduate Assistant in St. Lawrence Kannada Medium High School from 1965 to 1981, first as Biology teacher and later as English teacher. Later, in 1981, when St. Lawrence PU College was established,  he was promoted as a lecturer in the subject of Political Science and retired from service in 2003, thus serving in St. Lawrence Composite PU College for a total period of 38 years.

 

The Kamath couple has been blessed with three children-two sons and a daughter. Eldest son, Dr. Srinath with Medical degrees such as MBBS, DLO, DNB is an ENT Surgeon. He and  his wife Dr. Pretty  are presently providing medical service in KSHEMA, Derlakatte, Mangalore.

 

Daughter Amritha is married to Hariprasad Nayak. Both of them being Engineers are presently working and residing in Bangalore. Third, son Girish is married to Shruthi and they too being both Engineers are serving in Bangalore.