Greater Houston Tamil School Annual Day Celebration

PEARLAND: Greater Houston Tamil School celebrated its Annual Day on Saturday, May 24, at the C. A. Nelson Auditorium, Pearland Junior High West in Pearland. Greater Houston Tamil School is the largest Tamil school in the greater Houston area with an enrollment of 235 students. It serves the Tamil community by conducting classes at four locations – Katy, Pearland, Woodlands and Westheimer.
The Annual Day function was a confluence of student talents from all the four school branches. Students presented various cultural programs in Tamil and showcased their talents. The show was enjoyed by more than 400 parents and visitors.
The event started with a rousing recital of the Thamizh Thaai Vazhthu by the students and the audience. Then Dr. Gopal Krishnan, the President, gave the welcome speech and kick started the proceedings. He announced that the school has been recommended for Accreditation by the world-renowned AdvancEd audit team and that this was the first time a Tamil school in North America was receiving such a recommendation. He also announced that the school has received IRS approval for tax-exempt / 501 (c)(3) status.
This was followed by a dazzling array of programs by students from all levels. They displayed their talents by touching on various dimensions such as Speech, Singing, Cultural Dance, Drama and Humor bringing in excerpts from Tamil culture and literature as a feast to eyes and ears of the Tamil audience. The chief guest for the event, Geetha Arunachalam, the Dallas Metroplex Tamil Sangam President, delivered the keynote address and honored the administrators, teachers and volunteers. This was followed by the award ceremony for the students. The students received awards from their respective class teachers based on the results of their performance in class and results from competitions held in the school.
The vote of thanks was given by Karu Manickavasagam, the event coordinator. He lauded the efforts of all the volunteers who made the event a success. The event ended on a happy note with a fine dinner catered by Annam Cuisine.
The comment from the departing parents, “Even though we are in foreign shores, the Tamil skills of our kids are improving significantly year after year”, reflected the success of the school and the Annual Day celebration!