Farewell functions often follow a cliched template where the retiree is seated on a makeshift dais with the ‘soon-to-be former colleagues’ singing paeans on how he or she will be missed.
Determined not to tread that beaten path, the teachers of the Government Higher Secondary School, Chengamanad, on the outskirts of Kochi city in Kerala, staged a different kind of farewell for Susheeladevi P., a Mathematics teacher, in Goa during this Christmas vacation. However, the whole episode has now assumed a life of its own with its video going viral on social media.
“We were on a two-day staff tour to Goa and I had no clue about the surprise in store. We were at a beach when they suddenly put a crown on my head and slung a sash-like band with the words ‘Retire to be,” says Ms. Susheeladevi, who is set to retire this May (2024) after 30 years’ of service.
When the Goa trip was planned three months ago, the possibility of a surprise farewell for her colleague had crossed the mind of Lalimol Gregory, staff secretary, though there was no concrete plan as such. Nevertheless, she had the crown and the sash made using a chart paper ready on the day before the trip. She also shared the idea with some of the other teachers so that they play along if and when the moment came.
“Through the day in Goa, we could not find an appropriate location till we reached that beach in South Goa. Somehow, there was an elevated seat and a walkway of sorts flanked by casuarina trees, making for a perfect setting,” says Ms. Gregory.
Suresh Kumar K.K, Botany teacher of the school, who regularly uploads reels on Instagram, shot the video. “Since it was largely impromptu, we had nothing to present her with. So, we gathered a few broken branches of casuarina tree and presented her with its leaves,” he says.
He then edited the video and shared it initially on WhatsApp since it could not be uploaded as a reel on Instagram since it breached the permissible 90-second threshold. However, the video got shared among teachers’ groups across the State and someone posted it on social media where it went viral.
