It is Christmas every time you let God love others through you– Mother Teresa

Christmas – the very word invokes the joy we feel during that magical time of the year when we come together to commemorate the birth of the Saviour. It’s a festival that truly transcends all barriers be it religious or otherwise. The spirit of Christmas is in the ‘togetherness’, it’s in the thought to which we put into thinking about others, it’s a selfless time, when we forgive, take stock of what’s important and become ‘better’ versions of ourselves.

At St. Joseph’s Sr. Sec. School, Sector 44-D, Chandigarh, every year, the entire school is festooned to create a winter wonderland with the customary X-Mas Tree and Nativity Scene taking pride of place in the reception area.

Through the week, Santa’s little Josephian  ‘elves’ from the Middle Block have been busy at work, hand crafting exquisite Christmas themed decorations for the special Exhibition, the proceeds of which are donated to charity.

Various Competitions in the different Blocks had the students pulling out all the stops as they vied for the Best Spot.

Class Bulletin boards were embellished, depicting X-Mas themes- the Nativity scene, Bible quotes and Jesus Christ’s teachings, to

Imbibe the values spread by the Messiah.

The little angels of Kindergarten fashioned Santa’s, reindeer, snowmen and X-MAS trees out of origami sheets which they proudly displayed in their classrooms. They also availed the opportunity to visit the Church to seek the blessings of Lord Jesus and experience the true meaning of Christmas.

The Blocks of Primary 1and 2 also put on their creative caps, the former making little popsicle huts and wreaths while the latter crafted the twelve symbols of Christmas giving a new twist of their own to the traditional ornaments.

The entire Josephian Family gathered in the school ground to witness the magical performances that the students had put together. The event was graced by the presence of the Special Guests -Principals  of the partner schools, Ms. Asha Rani- of GMSSSS , Sector 37, Ms. Suman Jaswal of GMHS, Sector 53 and Ms. Manjula  of GMHS, Sector 29, Chandigarh who were presented with tokens of affection by Mr Sukhdeep Grewal,Management Member, along with the Principal and Coordinators.

The festivities were an amalgamation of all that is emblematic of the spirit of Christmas, commencing with the energetic medley of foot tapping Carols by the school Choir followed by the musical enactment of The Nativity Story which is an epic telling of the Christmas story with a strong visual and emotional impact. The dance performances by the junior students set the stage alight as did the mesmerizing suave moves of the Seniors.

Undoubtedly, the pièce de résistance was the Beat Box rendition of the traditional Carol, ‘ Mary, Did You Know ‘?  The well kept secret of the Josephians’ Flash Mob, came as a bolt from the Blue, taking the audience by complete surprise but

The celebration also served as the perfect chance to appreciate the selfless acts of the students who contributed whole heartedly for the Animal Adoption Programme that St. Joseph’s operates in tandem with Chhatbir Zoo. The students who made the largest benefaction individually as well as the Class Incharges of the classes with the highest amount of contribution were presented with Certificates for their inspirational acts of compassion and generosity towards this noble cause.

Another successful innovative Programme of the school, the Goodness Bank 2.0 was revitalized wherein the Class Incharges of the Most Creatively crafted Goodness Banks were felicitated with special gifts. The dignitaries also visited the Wall of Kindness which is quite literally a boundary wall of the school where the Josephian family dole out clothes and other necessary items to the needy.

Everyone present was also invited to write a little letter, shaped like a stocking, to Santa about what they wish for Christmas this year which was then displayed for all to view.

Christmas celebrations are incomplete without sharing. Thus, the boundless joy and exuberance of the Christmas spirit was shared when the teachers of the institution, became Santas and accompanied by the Josephians, visited the Max Hospital bearing gifts for the little ones as well as the care givers who welcomed them and were delighted to spend a few precious moments and hear the stories of these bravehearts.

Sukhdeep Sir and Paramdeep Sir complimented the Staff and students on pulling off yet another stupendous show with such panache.

Principal Ms. Monica Chawla also appreciated all the participants and reiterated that the true spirit of Christmas lies only in sharing and giving, not necessarily presents, but the gift of our presence to those in need. She expressed her gratitude to the Management for their encouragement and support and heaped praises on the Staff and students for their unstinting endeavours at making every event a resounding success.