A student at the La Martiniere for Girls’ Founder’s Day service. (Arnab Mondal)

We had been planning for this special day for two weeks, practising songs for the morning service, looking forward to hearing our guest speaker and also dreaming of the dance that was to follow in the evening.

The 177th commemoration service of the founder of the La Martiniere schools, Major General Claude Martin, was held on September 13.

The morning started with a service at Atmodaya Bhavan on the boys’ school campus. We sang hymns, the school song and the national anthem.

I had been looking forward to hearing our chief guest, Presidency University vice-chancellor Malabika Sarkar, speak. Hearing her equate the La Martiniere schools with Presidency made me very proud.

At the service, some achievers from our school were awarded. Aastha Jain of Class XII received the principal’s all-rounder medal. Besides excelling in academics, Aastha is also a national-level basketball player. Janice Norris of Class XII got the good conduct medal.

Post service, it was time for the the traditional Founder’s Day dinner. Our founder had mentioned in his will that he wanted his death anniversary to be observed not as a day of mourning but of celebration of his life. He had also laid down the menu for the occasion. Though the menu has changed over the years, the tradition of hosting a meal remains.

Students of classes IX to XII, alumni and the staff enjoyed a lunch of biryani and fried rice.

The morning’s programme over and with no classes on the day, my friends and I began the countdown to the much-awaited evening social.

(The writer is a student of Class XI at LMG)