Remembering Mr Jacob

 

Headboy Dinesh Mirchandani

recalls how at the social of his final year, as the lights dimmed, he saw Mr Jacob in the unlit corridor. Hands behind his back, he watched silently, with a half-smile on his face. "He incongruously wore a multi-hued Hawaiian shirt. We exchanged smiles as he casually strolled down the corridor. And I thought, "How cool, here's our Principal, enjoying our special eveining, but not intruding on it".

Amy Madon

Our principal Mr. Jacob was a lovely soft-spoken approachable headmaster who was always willing to a listen to a student’s point of view. One morning after a particularly bad math period we decided to go and see Mr. Jacob. It was comparable to a ‘morcha’ of students who went up to his office (an irate throng of 11 year olds with me at its head) to complain about this crazy Scotsman who showered us with chalk dust and pipe tobacco every day. Mr. Jacob heard us out, placated us and in his inimitable style dismissed us.

The next day we waited with bated breath for Mr Friend-smith. He walked into class in an oddly cavalier fashion and began the days lesson without further ado, and amazingly no duster chalk floated around anyone's head, nor was there any pipe tobacco with the odd spittle stuck to it on a shirt collar or a dress.

I don't know what transpired between Mr. Jacob and Mr. Friend-smith, but not one of us had to shy awayfrom Mr Friend-smith as he walked down the aisle again.

Ila Raiji

I remember Mr Jacob’s scripture classes. We sat on his comfy sofas in his cool air-conditioned office. Mr Jacob’s first words to the class would be “Where were we?” and the class would chorus “Moses”. We never got beyond Moses, as at that moment a strange humming sound would emerge from the boys end of the room.

Of course he always knew that the humming was the mischievous boys sabotaging his class but he indulged them with a quiet smile and played along with them in trying to discover the source of the humming.

I think he took the attitude of “boys will be boys”  and that “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”.  Allowing these moments of mischief and play, he provided a fun place to learn and grow.  He brought balance to all aspects of school life and school became a place you wanted to come to each morning.

He was gentle, calm, kind, and caring and hence became a very well loved, admired and respected Principal.