A retrospective look at the outstanding leaders who shaped our school
Mrs. Shanthy Asokan, The Principal has an M.Sc. (Zoology) from Manasagangotri, Mysore and a B.Ed from Kamarajar University.Armed with around 30 years of experience in teaching Biology and being engaged in exam-related duties in Biology, she is seen as a respectable authority in the subject. Spanning a fruitful 17 years at D.A.V. Boys Senior Secondary School, Gopalapuram both as a PGT (Biology) (since June 1999) and Principal (since 2014) countless students have gained from her expertise. Under her stewardship D.A.V students have secured very high marks in Biology, including a large number of merit certificates and DBT Scholarships ( instituted by the Department of Bio Technology and Government of India for the top 25 candidates in Biology at the All India level).With a student – centric vision, Mrs. Shanthy Asokan is adept at strategizing techniques as a Principal to enhance the teaching-learning experience. Very organised and well prepared, she ensures smooth co-ordination of all activities at school. She is consistently trying to take the school forward with its high goals and set new benchmarks. Her vision more than supplements all attributes of the D.A.V. brand.Her tenure in the school from 1-5-2014 to 31-12-2019 was of profound impact and progress
Mrs. Chitra Raghavan's tenure from 2019 to 2024 was a testament to her dedication and leadership. Mrs. Chitra Raghavan started her illustrious teaching career in the year 1992 as PGT in Physics. An M.Phil in Nuclear Physics, from the University of Madras, her first stint as Principal was for a period of 9 years before she joined D.A.V. Boys Gopalapuram in the year 2005 as PGT (Physics). With her signature teaching style of systematic and rigorous schedule, learning by doing and experiential learning method, she has always encouraged students to give their best and the best they did give – with an impressive record of 87% of students scoring A1 and A2 on an average in Class XII Board Examination in Physics, every year. She is a visionary who believes that ‘The Child is father of the Man’ and the values and personality a child develops in his formative years, mould his mettle and escort him for the rest of his life.In her words, “A teacher can never tell where his or her influence stops – it can affect eternity. We, at D.A.V., believe that every child is unique, special and needs an individual approach, no similar to another. A child’s growth is not in measure of his curricular performance or co-curricular excellence, but is in a holistic development that guides and supports him for the rest of his life. The attitude he carries with him determines the altitude he reaches in life.Do not educate a child to be rich, educate him to be happy. So, when he grows up, he will know the value of things, not the price. We, at D.A.V., strongly believe that gratitude is a quality that must be nurtured in every child as he grows so that he learns to count his blessings every single day. To achieve these objectives, the journey we undertake is long and comes with its own challenges, bends and turns and the role of a parent in this journey is also indispensible.To raise a child who is comfortable enough to leave you means that you have done your job. They are not ours to keep but to soar high on their own. In this, I believe that parents and teachers are allies who should work together for the fulfillment of their common objective – well being of the child. A parent is equally responsible in fostering morality in a child as a teacher is. A child should appreciate what he has, realize how blessed he is, utilize the God-sent opportunities in a productive manner and reap the benefits. The bent of the mind of a child, his abilities and inclination must always be given foremost priority while taking crucial decisions in his life.In conclusion, with the grace of the Almighty, blessings of our founding fathers Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati and Mahatma Hansraj and many other torchbearers of the egalitarian principles of our school who have led the mission and vision of D.A.V. till date, the never-ending trust and support of our parents, we march forward towards greater glory, farther destination, to continue this responsibility of producing patriotic and responsible citizens of our nation.
