More than 100 former pupils of Abu Dhabi's oldest private school returned to the classroom on Saturday for an emotional reunion.
Proud members of the classes of 1990 to 2005 at St Joseph's School travelled to the capital from all parts of the globe to turn back the clock.
It was the first reunion to be held by the Indian-curriculum Catholic school, which was established in 1967.
Several female alumni at the school, where boys study only until grade 4, flew in from the US, India, Bahrain and Kuwait to be part of the special gathering.
St Joseph's is managed by the Apostolic Vicariate of the Roman Catholic Church of Arabia and is run by the Carmelite Sisters of St Teresa, India.
The school, once located along the Corniche, is today housed in a modern campus in Mushrif near St Joseph's Catholic Church.
Reliving happy memories
IT professional Lekshmi Shaiju travelled from the US to be part of the get-together, 30 years after her last day at school.
“There are so many memories tucked in every corner. On these very stairs we used race up to our classes. Nothing much has changed here except for the projectors and smart boards,” she said.
A recurring memory for Ms Shaiju, 46, was the morning school assembly.
“The notes of the angelic church music still reverberate in my ears. We used to look forward to the daily talent show performed everyday by a new student,” she said.
Dubai resident Komal Raipancholia was also visiting the school for the first time since she graduated in 1990.
Engulfed in a wave of nostalgia, she reflected on her craft lessons, sports meet-ups and the much-awaited annual Christmas bazaar.
“Held in the school grounds, it was really the highlight of the year for me,” she said.
“The entire class would start making paper cut outs of Christmas decor much in advance to adorn the classroom windows that overlooked the bazaar area.”
The festival itself was attended by her entire family where they played carnival games and bought an array of gifts.
“We also helped out at the stalls in the bazaar selling Christmas cakes and cookies, or stand in at the usual darts or ring-toss games,” she said.
Her younger sister Shyamal Bhatia, who graduated from St Joseph's a few years later, travelled from Bahrain to be part of the reunion.
An avid sports fan, Ms Bhatia took a keen interest in athletics during her school days, excelling in relay races, shot put and long jump.
Generations of learning
The sisters are the fifth generation of an Indian family that has lived in Abu Dhabi for several decades. As many as six children from their extended family have attended the same school.
They said the school and the teachers have had a profound impact on their lives.
“The school helped me become a strong individual. I was a shy student but my teachers encouraged me to take up drama and perform in front of an audience to gain confidence,” said Ms Bhatia.
The school tour was followed by a cultural programme and dinner.
Preparations for the reunion began about a year ago, said Aneeta Langford, one of the core members of the organising team.
Now a multistorey building, a school which began with only 70 pupils in four classrooms in a house on the beach now serves about 1,300 learners.
Life lessons
Ten senior teachers, who worked in the school for several decades, were also part of the reunion.
Vimla Simon, 76, first came to the UAE in November 1969 and within a few days joined the school.
“We were a handful of teachers back then. I taught all subjects to children of various nationalities,” she says. Ms Simon left and rejoined the school three times, finally retiring in 2008.
Mariamma Rameshkumar has taught chemistry and maths in the school for 35 years. She has been twice awarded by the Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Teaching Excellence.
The school remains a popular choice for parents as it provides quality and affordable education, she said.
Ms Rameshkumar has lived in Abu Dhabi for about 40 years and has seen the city transform into a sprawling metropolis.
“I had moved from bustling Mumbai in 1985 to find that life was so quiet in Abu Dhabi. There were only a few buildings in Khalidiya where we lived and just two supermarkets – Choithrams and K M Trading,” she said.
For Parvati Prabha, who studied at the school from 1978 to 1991, life in Abu Dhabi in the ’80s and ’90s were golden years, with minimal traffic, easy access to shopping malls and a close-knit community to be part of.
“After school, many evenings were spent enjoying long walks at the corniche, at the gaming zone in Hamdan Centre or at the India Social Centre, where I trained in classical music, while my father played tennis,” said Ms Prabha, who works as an instructional designer in India.
Among her school memories, outings to Jumeirah beach in Dubai and Hili Fun City in Al Ain remain the most prized.
She takes great pride in the nation's progress, having witnessed UAE’s transformation from its early years.
“Abu Dhabi will always be home to me. Whenever I feel low, I wish I had the corniche nearby. I believe a walk along it could set everything right.”
St Joseph's School through the years - in pictures
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dual%20synchronous%20electric%20motors%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E660hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E1%2C100Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle-speed%20automatic%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETouring%20range%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E488km-560km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh850%2C000%20(estimate)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EOctober%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Tips for avoiding trouble online
- Do not post incorrect information and beware of fake news
- Do not publish or repost racist or hate speech, yours or anyone else’s
- Do not incite violence and be careful how to phrase what you want to say
- Do not defame anyone. Have a difference of opinion with someone? Don’t attack them on social media
- Do not forget your children and monitor their online activities
CONCRETE COWBOY
Directed by: Ricky Staub
Starring: Idris Elba, Caleb McLaughlin, Jharrel Jerome
3.5/5 stars
Sly%20Cooper%20and%20the%20Thievius%20Raccoonus
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDeveloper%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Sucker%20Punch%20Productions%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Sony%20Computer%20Entertainment%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EConsole%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20PlayStation%202%20to%205%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%205%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MATCH INFO
Northern Warriors 92-1 (10 ovs)
Russell 37 no, Billings 35 no
Team Abu Dhabi 93-4 (8.3 ovs)
Wright 48, Moeen 30, Green 2-22
Team Abu Dhabi win by six wickets
Ruwais timeline
1971 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company established
1980 Ruwais Housing Complex built, located 10 kilometres away from industrial plants
1982 120,000 bpd capacity Ruwais refinery complex officially inaugurated by the founder of the UAE Sheikh Zayed
1984 Second phase of Ruwais Housing Complex built. Today the 7,000-unit complex houses some 24,000 people.
1985 The refinery is expanded with the commissioning of a 27,000 b/d hydro cracker complex
2009 Plans announced to build $1.2 billion fertilizer plant in Ruwais, producing urea
2010 Adnoc awards $10bn contracts for expansion of Ruwais refinery, to double capacity from 415,000 bpd
2014 Ruwais 261-outlet shopping mall opens
2014 Production starts at newly expanded Ruwais refinery, providing jet fuel and diesel and allowing the UAE to be self-sufficient for petrol supplies
2014 Etihad Rail begins transportation of sulphur from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais for export
2017 Aldar Academies to operate Adnoc’s schools including in Ruwais from September. Eight schools operate in total within the housing complex.
2018 Adnoc announces plans to invest $3.1 billion on upgrading its Ruwais refinery
2018 NMC Healthcare selected to manage operations of Ruwais Hospital
2018 Adnoc announces new downstream strategy at event in Abu Dhabi on May 13
Source: The National
If you go
The flights
Etihad (etihad.com) flies from Abu Dhabi to Luang Prabang via Bangkok, with a return flight from Chiang Rai via Bangkok for about Dh3,000, including taxes. Emirates and Thai Airways cover the same route, also via Bangkok in both directions, from about Dh2,700.
The cruise
The Gypsy by Mekong Kingdoms has two cruising options: a three-night, four-day trip upstream cruise or a two-night, three-day downstream journey, from US$5,940 (Dh21,814), including meals, selected drinks, excursions and transfers.
The hotels
Accommodation is available in Luang Prabang at the Avani, from $290 (Dh1,065) per night, and at Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp and Resort from $1,080 (Dh3,967) per night, including meals, an activity and transfers.
MATCH INFO
Barcelona 5 (Lenglet 2', Vidal 29', Messi 34', 75', Suarez 77')
Valladolid 1 (Kiko 15')
Who is Tim-Berners Lee?
Sir Tim Berners-Lee was born in London in a household of mathematicians and computer scientists. Both his mother, Mary Lee, and father, Conway, were early computer scientists who worked on the Ferranti 1 - the world's first commercially-available, general purpose digital computer. Sir Tim studied Physics at the University of Oxford and held a series of roles developing code and building software before moving to Switzerland to work for Cern, the European Particle Physics laboratory. He developed the worldwide web code as a side project in 1989 as a global information-sharing system. After releasing the first web code in 1991, Cern made it open and free for all to use. Sir Tim now campaigns for initiatives to make sure the web remains open and accessible to all.
The bio
Academics: Phd in strategic management in University of Wales
Number one caps: His best-seller caps are in shades of grey, blue, black and yellow
Reading: Is immersed in books on colours to understand more about the usage of different shades
Sport: Started playing polo two years ago. Helps him relax, plus he enjoys the speed and focus
Cars: Loves exotic cars and currently drives a Bentley Bentayga
Holiday: Favourite travel destinations are London and St Tropez
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
England Test squad
Ben Stokes (captain), Joe Root, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Foakes, Jack Leach, Alex Lees, Craig Overton, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Suggested picnic spots
Abu Dhabi
Umm Al Emarat Park
Yas Gateway Park
Delma Park
Al Bateen beach
Saadiyaat beach
The Corniche
Zayed Sports City
Dubai
Kite Beach
Zabeel Park
Al Nahda Pond Park
Mushrif Park
Safa Park
Al Mamzar Beach Park
Al Qudrah Lakes
Final results:
Open men
Australia 94 (4) beat New Zealand 48 (0)
Plate men
England 85 (3) beat India 81 (1)
Open women
Australia 121 (4) beat South Africa 52 (0)
Under 22 men
Australia 68 (2) beat New Zealand 66 (2)
Under 22 women
Australia 92 (3) beat New Zealand 54 (1)
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Honeymoonish
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Elie%20El%20Samaan%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENour%20Al%20Ghandour%2C%20Mahmoud%20Boushahri%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
What are the main cyber security threats?
Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
MATCH INFO
Day 2 at Mount Maunganui
England 353
Stokes 91, Denly 74, Southee 4-88
New Zealand 144-4
Williamson 51, S Curran 2-28
