Deepavali Dress Up
Greetings from the PTC!
The first task for the PTC this year was to organise the KTJ Primary Annual Fancy Dress Disco. Given the timing of the event just 2 days before Deepavali, the school decided it would be a Deepavali Disco Party, so it was easy to pick our theme, "Bollywood Fancy Dress". This year we decided to brave the elements and move the party outdoors, to accommodate our growing student numbers. We needed the space for dancing and a larger arena for another item of entertainment for the evening - a magic show! We also wanted a photobooth with fun props, henna art, a clown and, in keeping with Deepavali...bright lights.
Starting at 8.30am, members of the PTC plus our excellent volunteers began working to transform the school into a colourful Bollywood set. Some started blowing balloons and making paper pom-poms to decorate the first floor area. Many multicoloured sarees were draped from the railings on the first floor down to the ground floor. A gateway of curtains and flower garlands was created by the canteen which had the children gasping when they came out at snack time. Our multinational team of 'artists' made our PTC Deepavali Kolam in brightly coloured rice, complete with oil lamps.
A week earlier the PTC (with the teachers’ help) organised a Deepavali Memories Essay Writing/Drawing contest amongst the students. We received an overwhelming response, and decided to honour each entry by putting up all the drawings and stories upstairs to complement the decorations, so that our guests could enjoy the creative work of our students when they arrived to the party.
The whole team worked hard all morning, but there was so much camaraderie between us that we didn’t notice the time going by. We certainly had a lot of fun getting to know each other, especially during coffee breaks!
A light shower in the midafternoon was not enough to dampen any spirits. Our ever hardworking ground staff at KTJ diligently cleared the water when the rain stopped at around 5pm. The food arrived, the DJs, the entertainers, the lighting crew, henna ladies, photobooth....the stage was set! But undeniably, the true star of the night was the venue itself. The atmosphere was just mesmerising. All those who came were amazed, and immediately felt the excitement of the evening. Thanks, Ivy and Dhana who dreamed up the design, and Chandra for your lovely sarees!
The event was a great success. There was merriment and laughter all around. So many children and parents came in traditional Indian costumes, complete with headgear and accessories. It was a dazzling sight indeed! Our henna and photo booths had long lines all evening. The magician had the children enthralled with his amazing tricks, whilst the clown proved a rather popular figure with his creative balloon sculptures.
And let's not forget the highlight of the evening - the super energetic flash mob led by Baljeet (Year 5) which won him a special prize from the PTC at the next day’s Assembly for being Best Performer at the Deepavali Disco. Thanks, Mr James for organizing the dance, and well done, Baljeet!
It was wonderful to see everyone getting into the theme of the party and dancing to the beat of the Bollywood tunes. We tried new things and new combinations. Roti canai and orange juice, pizza and masala tea. I felt the genuine happiness and goodwill from everyone. We embraced the idea that Deepavali, or any festive celebration, is not necessarily just about one race or religious group. Here in Malaysia, we are so privileged to celebrate each other's festivals together, to learn from our similarities and shared heritage as Malaysians. We also showed our international friends and colleagues, a part of what it means to be Malaysian.
Thanks to Sheila, Balvin and Kalis at the office for your tremendous support throughout the event, plus thanks to the amazing ground crew and maintenance guys under the very patient supervision of Mr Surash. Thanks also to the school for providing the PA system, the tents, etc and the refreshments. It certainly helped our budget not to worry about these vital aspects of the party!
Most especially we reserve thanks to Dr Watson, Ms Annette and Ms Alex and all the teachers for being so supportive, not only for the Disco but for the Deepavali Memories Essay/Drawing Competition which we held in conjunction with Deepavali.
Thanks to our PTC Teacher liaison Mr Daniel for helping us coordinate everything with the teachers and the secondary school. Thanks to the DJs from the Secondary who kept us on our feet. Thanks to the previous PTCs for the great foundation and kickstart which enabled us to host such a nice event.
My personal thanks to an incredibly dedicated gang of PTC members this year - Max, Andrea, Nadia, Li See, Karen, Farizah, Mala, Jane and Amirah. The meetings, the decisions, the whatsapp messages! Having you all on board made things easier. You are rockstars
To the incredible volunteers who helped on the day... the joyful spirit of this Deepavali Disco Night began in the morning with all of you. Thanks for everything! Ivy, Dhana, Chandra, Juhanis, Eileen, Nita, and Mr Yang (who gave up his free period to help!). My apologies if I've left anyone out.
Last but not least, to all the parents who came to enjoy the evening with us...many of you generously sponsored food and desserts, and even gave us some welcome cash contributions. We thank you very much. The PTC is grateful for all your support throughout the years, and hope to see you all again at future events!
Joanne Menon Jayadeep
President
PTC 2016/2017
N.B.
Special thanks to our guest speaker Mr Poven (father of Abhi Year 1NW) who gave an engaging talk to the children about various legends of Deepavali and some traditional celebrations during the festival. The PTC also gave out prizes to 6 winners of the Deepavali Memories Essay Writing/Drawing Contest after the Assembly on 28 Nov 2016.
The winners were: Azueen (Y2), Akkshath (Y2), Sidaarrh, Chloe (4/5), Rebecca (Y5) and Harkeerat (Y6). Congratulations!
