Amidst roaring admiration from the legion of GIIS students, parents, teachers and notable guests the Former President of India and national as well as international icon, HE Dr APJ Abdul Kalam officially launched GIIS’s 10th Year logo in September 2011 to mark GIIS’s entry into its 10th year of commitment to education excellence.

Dr Abdul Kalam made a special visit to GIIS to interact with students. Incidentally, this was his third visit to GIIS in Singapore. He was received at the GIIS East Coast Campus by Mr Kaustubh Bodhankar, Mr Rajiv Vasudeva, Mrs Aparna Temurnikar, Mrs Vrushali Bodhankar, Mr and Mrs Sudan Wargantiwar, Mr BG Shenoy,GIIS Principals, Vice-Principals, students and teachers. Also present at the event were 40 students from the Anglo Chinese School (International) and Bedok Green Primary School and students from GIIS Queenstown, East Coast and Balestier Campuses. The event commenced with Dr Kalam paying respect to the statue of Mahatma Gandhi. In the campus, over a hundred students from the GIIS East Coast Campus had lined up on both sides of the school path, waving Indian and Singapore flags in unison.

In the auditorium, Dr Kalam’s arrival met with jubilant applause. His speech was clearly focused on the students in the auditorium. He expressed delight at being able to participate in the 10th year celebrations of GIIS and pointed out, very interestingly, that the school is also in the planet year and just as the earth orbits around the sun in 365 days, so also GIIS will be orbiting around the sun for the tenth time this year. And he promised that he would be back at GIIS when it orbits around the sun for the 100th time. Recalling his chance meeting with Greek children at the Acropolis during his visit to Greece some time back, he invited the audience to recite after him the same hymn that he had chanted with the Greek children, “When there is righteousness in the heart, there is beauty in the character; when there is beauty in the character, there is harmony in the home ; when there is harmony in the home, there is order in the nation and when there is peace in the nation, there is peace in the world.”

According to Dr Kalam, the most important people in a child’s life are his mother, his father and his primary school teacher. Quoting words from ‘Wings to Fly’, a poem by well known poet Rumi, Dr Kalam said, “Each of you will have wings of fire to fly. This will lead you to knowledge.” He reminded students that if they want to become unique persons, they would need to define and create their own paths. He outlined 4 simple steps needed for those willing to become unique personalities: Have great aims or clear objectives in life, acquire knowledge continuously, work hard towards those objectives and persevere towards your goal.

After his address he invited students to ask him questions and took great interest in the Q & A session. He struck a close rapport with the students by shedding light on several issues and giving his honest opinion on others.

This was followed by the lighting of the crystal ball which triggered the launch of the logo on the silver screens and was accompanied by the unveiling of the stone plaque marking the official launch of the 10th Year logo of GIIS.

great luminary penned a special message for GIIS students, “Dear GIIS students, my greetings. Knowledge makes you great.”

Link to view images of HE Dr Abdul Kalam launching GIIS’s 10th year logo

https://picasaweb.google.com/GIISHQ/HEDrAPJAbdulKalamAtGIISEastCoast
CampusSept222011#

Link to view Video

http://www.youtube.com/giisheadquarters