Holy Family Convent, Kurunegala

Repost from HFBMV
Academic Star Badge Award Ceremony

On July 16, 2025, students from Grades 6 to 11 who demonstrated exceptional academic achievement were recognized and honored. Each recipient was awarded the “Academic Star” badge, a symbol of their dedication, perseverance, and commitment to excellence.

We extend our warmest congratulations to all the honorees for their remarkable accomplishments.

Academic Committee

💸 විමංසා'25 💸
Commerce Day of Holy Family Balika Kurunegala

Photographers
Akila Dissanayaka | +94 (70) 177 0163

Videographers
Thejan Naween | +94 (71) 065 8668
Sathsara Jayanandha | +94 (77) 893 4602

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A Tribute to Carmel
By Sriyani Peiris née Ranasinghe

I had the privilege of associating with Carmel for more than a decade longer than many of my colleagues. During that time, I came to know her discipline, her wisdom, and the transformation in how she regarded me once I, too, became a teacher. Carmel was fortunate to be cared for by many around her, but in truth, it was we who were blessed to receive her unwavering loyalty and service. Her dedication to the school was nothing short of remarkable.

Carmel was known for being careful—sometimes even frugal—when it came to school property. She guarded the school as though it were her own home. I recall vividly the time I took our basketball team to Colombo for the national finals. Sr. Yves Marie, who was then Principal, trusted me, as a past pupil, to lead the girls out of school. My husband stayed with our little boys at his parents’ home in Colombo, while I stayed with the team and Carmel at the Holy Family Convent in Bambalapitiya. We spent three or four days there, advancing all the way to the finals—and winning the championship.

The sisters at Bamba Convent treated us with extraordinary generosity, offering the girls excellent accommodation, far better than what was typically provided at government schools. Carmel and I were the only staff members directly responsible for the girls, and with the sisters’ support, we managed them well. One evening, the girls requested eggs for dinner. True to her thrifty nature, Carmel gave them one each but refused when they asked for more. I laughed and told her to give them as many as they wanted—“even three each”—and promised to cover the cost myself. She relented, and the girls were overjoyed. I even teased her to take three for herself so she could cheer louder the next day. With their determination and spirit, the girls fought until the very last drop of sweat and brought the championship trophy home.

The following year, when we hosted the tournament, Carmel again played a vital role in organizing. Visiting teams were to be housed in classrooms with shared bathrooms, including our sister school, Bamba. I objected strongly, saying it was unfair to offer them less after the kindness they had shown us. Carmel, ever protective of the school, initially resisted, worried about teachers’ belongings and facilities. But after much discussion, she agreed to let the Bamba girls stay in the staffroom, with proper washrooms and privacy. In the end, fairness prevailed, and her flexibility reflected the generosity of her spirit.

For Carmel, there was no separation between herself and the school. The two were one and the same.

Even after I left Holy Family Convent and moved to the UK, I visited her whenever I returned to Sri Lanka. During her time at Kuru Convent with her sister, I often called on her with my mother. After her sister’s passing, she was cared for in Malkaduwawa and later in Wennappuwa. My husband once operated on her and treated her at our hospital, free of charge, and I was grateful to return, in a small way, the care she had always given so selflessly.

I remember one of my last visits, when she confided that she had high cholesterol and little appetite. She was no longer the energetic, spirited woman we had known. I brought her sustagen and gave her sister a small sum to buy her anything she wished to eat. Sadly, when she was later moved to Wennappuwa, I did not visit. Partly it was because I feared seeing her bedridden and so diminished from the Carmel I remembered.

In my farewell speech to the students before leaving for the UK, I spoke of Carmel’s service, loyalty, and devotion. I reminded the girls to respect her and to care for her, for she had always given so much without ever expecting anything in return.

Carmel was more than a custodian or the keeper of the keys—she was the spirit of the school itself: a guardian, a disciplinarian, and above all, a woman who gave her life in service to familans for decades.

May her soul rest in peace. 🙏

Eight students from our school were honored with the prestigious Presidential Environmental Pilot Award. In addition, teachers from 16 schools across the island were recognized for their contributions. We are especially proud of Ms. Geetha Thelahera, the dedicated head of our school’s Environmental Pilot Team, who received this distinguished award in recognition of her tireless commitment and exemplary service.

Guardian Angel

One and only Carmel beloved
Guardian angel of my school
You did ascend high up above
Angel wings fluttering on

Touch those white clouds sailing home
Feel the divine blue radiant heaven
Send your angelic kisses to school
Wrapped up safely in fluffy white clouds

Tell the angels you need to continue
As guardian angel of my school
Holy Family Convent- Rock city on earth
Awaits your angelic glance and touch

Tell off the girls who misbehave
Tell them off for wasting water
Threaten them with your favourite quote
“ Inda mama sittata Kiyannam ”

Walk around the school in mornings
Tell off the classes who didn’t tighten bolts
Left the windows rattle in the wind
Remind them those glasses can crack

Have the bunch of keys at your waist
After school when no body’s in school
Walk and check everything is OK
Will you please do that again ?

Tell off the boys who roam Convent streets
Threaten them loud to tell their mums
When you meet them at Sunday mass
Protect HFC girls from Valentine darts

Make many trips to and fro
To bread shop near the bus stand
To see who’s waiting in the stand
Idling on purpose to meet their lads

Threaten those girls at the bus stand
To get into the very next bus that comes
St. Anne’s and Devan lads had no chance
For tempting Holy Family romantic glance

I put my hands together for you
Sing you hymns and songs of praise
Carmel my beloved Guardian angel
Touch my school with your angelic glance

Glory to God for sending you
To Holy Family Convent my beloved school
Please continue the mission started
As Guardian Angel of my school

Love you Carmel more and more
Love you to the moon and back
Never forgotten and never will
Will meet one day among fluffy white clouds

Sriyani Peiris née Ranasinghe
31.08.2025

Officially August state of mind - school in August hits different!!

Today we gather with heavy hearts but also with immense gratitude, to honor the life of a truly remarkable woman our beloved Carmel Akka.

For decades, Carmel Akka dedicated herself to Holy Family Convent, not as a teacher or principal, but as the silent guardian who shaped generations in her own special way. She was more than a caretaker she was a guide, a watchful eye, and a loving protector.

She looked after the girls with patience and care, making sure they stayed safe and out of mischief. With gentle firmness, she kept order in the school, guiding students to class so they wouldn’t get into trouble with the principal. She swept the gardens, managed the cafeteria, and gave every corner of the school her devotion. Her work was humble, but her love was immeasurable.

Carmel Akka had a heart not only for children, but also for every living being. From cats and dogs to creatures of all sizes, she rescued and cared for them with kindness. Compassion flowed naturally from her soul.

To us, she was not just a caretaker she was a legend. She became part of the very spirit of our school, a memory etched into every hallway and every story we share.

Though Carmel Akka has left this world, her presence will forever remain in the Holy Family Convent — in the gardens she swept, the laughter she protected, and the love she spread so freely.

We miss her deeply, but we celebrate the life she lived a life of service, love, and quiet greatness.

May her soul rest in peace.