I Lived the Magic Mantra: “None for Himself, All for the School”
mong knowledge, skills, qualities, attitudes, and many other attributes I would rather say the living pattern of a good man is taught to us by Mother Kingswood: “None for himself, But all for the School”. Never has a gentleman of Kingswood betrayed Mother Kingswood, every gentlemen urges that they are the children of Mother Kingswood. With all these memories and the affection which I got from Mother Kingswood I would like to see her moving from strength to strength.
Like every hill country morning it was also a breezing and sizzling one on 20th January 2005, but one unlike any other day of my life. It was the day that I was entering my whole childhood’s dream. Got up early washed myself faster than before and I was all set for the go. I had this awesome rumbling feeling inside my tummy that this is the day my whole life was going to change. With my Ammi behind me I entered through the gates to a whole new world: the place I would gradually come to embrace as a second mother, Kingswood, and here I was, the very first day of my school life in a white short sleeved shirt and lovely dark blue shorts. Since I was attending Vision International School which was my first school from my preliminary grades to grade 6 and the place that nurtured me initially, I was feeling really fresh and a newbie to my Kingswood uniform.
Entering through those massive iron gates gave me goosebumps as if I was entering the place I really belong to, after a long wait. As I was being admitted to the school out of the normal procedure, neither from the Scholarship nor through related party admissions, I was the only student to be registered on that day. I got this fabulous opportunity due to an invitation done by the President of Kingswood Old Boys Association Colombo branch Mr. Nayana Dehigama due to my performances in sports.
I stepped on that massive path towards the office, the school was full of students the same uniform that I was newly wearing running here and there and there were some older students checking bags. I and ammi straight away went to the office and straight to the Principal’s chamber and there in that cavernous cabin was one of the greatest personalities that I’ve ever met in my life and he was none other than my beloved Principal Mr. Ranjith Chandrasekara. With that strict looking moustache and well maintained physique Principle Sir was the first person to greet me into the College. Then Ammi took me to meet my Sectional Head: one of the greatest teachers I have ever met with her strict and genuine qualities: Miss Poholiyadde, whom everyone respected and was fond of. Then it was the time to meet my destiny for another 7 years and my first class teacher at Kingswood College. I was entering the English medium class and met my class teacher Mrs. Theja Nawarathna whom I respect a lot. She was the first teacher that found what I am capable of. On the very first day in the Grade 7A class in Kingswood College the fellow students were very helpful and I was introduced to each and every teacher that came to the class.
Time went really quick, and as it always does in a new place it is a bit hard on the first few days. I got to know a few students from Kingswood before I came in but all of them were in the senior classes. But in a few months I could fit in to the form and routine of the new experience I was having. Day by day, the interest and the love towards Mother Kingswood grew to the point where I could say that I was a devotee of hers.
As time went by studying, making friends, playing around and so on, came the exams, the common enemy of all students. I was pretty confident of what I can do and when the results came I was 4th in the class behind three genius brains and everyone was amazed because I was a new student to the school and to the class. Starting from then on, I could excel in studies where I could become the class first in grade 9.
In addition to education I continued my Sports career which enabled me to enter the prestigious school in the first place. When I was entering my main sports were Karate and Chess so I could easily enter through to the Karate and Chess teams. Within the time spent I could be a part of many victories that made Mother Kingswood proud. Talking about Karate I had the opportunity to be a part of the team which won National Schools All Island Karate Championship for 3 consecutive times. Within my school life I could win 6 National School Championship Medals, 3 All Island Championship Medals and 2 National Junior and Cadet Championship Medals for Mother Kingswood. And finally representing Kingswood College I was able to represent the National Karate Squad in 2008, 2009 and 2011.
Chess was another amazing game where I was able to find a lifelong friendship clan, which is creditable to the College. With this friendship bond we could Achieve 3 All Island Championships. Whether we won or lost we were practicing to cherish each and every moment we had in our childhood. Then again, athletics became my big time favourite. I started athletics to satisfy appachchi in the first place, but became my own thing after some time. This was the 3rd sport I could excel in on behalf of Mother Kingswood, and I was able to achieve 3 medals at the All Island Junior Nationals and get selected to the National Junior athletics squad in 2009. The best thing I could ever give Mother Kingswood in terms of athletics was achieving the National Outstation 100m Record for under-17 male event, that happened in front of my school mates and my beloved Principal in April 2009 which was a record of 11.19sec and still standing making Mother Kingswood proud every moment it is read.
The Kingswood week has left me with amazing memories. The Prize giving and the Colors Night were my favourites. I could myself witness 7 amazing prize givings and 7 sizzling Colors Nights. Each and every year new experiences happened to come my way. Mother Kingswood is a place where miracles happen and in that cluster of miracles I was able to twinkle a little bit. Mother Kingswood crowned me as the Junior Sportsman of the year 2009 and I was awarded the Most Outstanding Student of the year 2012, and these were the moments that still make me a part of Kingswood’s History..
With all these happy moments here comes the final era of wearing that prestigious uniform. With 9 As for the O/L examination I chose Commerce as my A/L subject stream. 2 years of hard studying and dedication, tremendous sacrifices were included in this final two years. Here I met the other great person at Mother Kingswood who had a deep impact in my life: my A/L Sectional Head, Mr. Kamal Abeywardane. He was the person who made me achieve my final target of the school time, pushing me in my studies to achieve something solid for myself and the school. With the immeasurable support from my ammi, appachchi and Mother Kingswood I could finally achieve the rare feat of a dazzling A/L performance by being the District topper in the Commerce Stream.
Tales about Kingswood would be going from generations to generations; many Kingswood gentlemen will talk about their memories. A school is a place where young men and women are instilled with skills and knowledge, but we call Kingswood “Mother” as she creates gentlemen to the society and where she can provide her nurturing to let these Gentlemen be the best among the rest. Among knowledge, skills, qualities, attitudes, and many other attributes I would rather say the living pattern of a good man is taught to us by Mother Kingswood: “None for himself, But all for the School”. Never has a gentleman of Kingswood betrayed Mother Kingswood, every gentlemen urges that they are the children of Mother Kingswood. With all these memories and the affection which I got from Mother Kingswood I would like to see her moving from strength to strength in happiness, seeing her children perform out there in the world adding meaning to her existence.
K.F.E
By Purindada Wijewickrama
