(Left) Augustine Vatamattam, principal, Loyola School and Ashish Batra, superintendent of police, East Singhbhum, inaugurate the diamond jubilee marathon. Pix: Bhola Prasad

Jamshedpur July 28: Loyola School, a humble dream of a group of Jesuit priests from USA, turned 60 today.

To celebrate the long history, the school began with a marathon from the institution premises.

Fr Sebastian Puthenpura, vice-principal of Loyola School, said: ?This year, our school completes 60 years, therefore like earlier jubilee celebrations, we have lined up year-long festivities. Over 200 students participated in the marathon along with famous members of the alumni; it was indeed a great beginning to forthcoming year-long celebrations.?

For the diamond marathon, some students formed a human chain while the rest marched along the city thoroughfares singing their school anthem.

Junior school students and teachers presented a skit on St. Ignatius Loyola at the Fasy Auditorium.

In the coming months the students would stage a play, An idle husband, directed by Amit Chatterjee, an ex-student and senior theatre personality from the steel city.

The play to be staged consecutively on September 28, 29 and 30, would be performed at the Tata Auditorium, XLRI and Beldih Club.

Like all previous celebrations, this time also the celebrations would end with the staging of the opera, Sound of Music, in July next year.

?The preparations for the opera would begin from January onwards,? said Mitali Das, a senior teacher.

Apart from the round of plays, Loyola School has also planned for a mega general knowledge quiz in November for the first time this year.

?This is the first time that we will be organising a GK quiz and one special round on Loyola school would definitely be there,? added Das.

?Unlike other years we will celebrate every regular school event during a week-long celebration, the dates of which are yet to be finalised,? added the vice-principal.