KIS Parents & Family
KIS or Kodai School as it was affectionately known for more than 70 years of its 107 year history, generates an unusual strength of affection and maintains strong links with its parents and extended family community.
Unlike most schools KIS parents keep active contact with the school after their children have left and are always a generous source of assistance whenever school staff and management are traveling, or they hear of a major project with which they can help.
KIS currently has 'generational' families with many third and fourth generation family members returning from the US and other parts of the world to rediscover this special experience. It is not uncommon for continuous family members to graduate from KIS, to return to teach or volunteer, visit with older friends and relatives and then to fund a KIS experience for their own children or grandchildren.
Current parents are as equally charmed.
KIS High School parent, Nyima grade 9
We came here in 1995 as a family with the intention of putting our two daughters through school in India. We were looking to get out of the rat trap, to avoid mass media influence and the commercial aspects of life in the west and to be able to spend time with our girls as they grew up. We have not been deceived. Not only has Kodaikanal provided a quiet but adventurous place to be, but KIS has provided a safe, secure and stimulating learning environment for our children which we would have been hard put to find elsewhere.
What I personally find interesting in the KIS experience is that in this small community of different backgrounds, nationalities and cultures, KIS students learn to get on with life and get over their differences. Nobody here will tell you that children are all the same - we all know they are not - but within the differences there are similarities and sameness and the kids learn this quickly and to their advantage.
There's an honesty in this learning process which is unusual and it teaches the kids to appreciate their differences, to understand their differences and to go beyond their differences. I like that. What binds the kids together is their deep rooted love for Kodai evidenced by the continual flow of alumni who return. Graduates from last year to graduates from 50 years ago mingle and work together in this home away from home known as KIS.
KIS High School parent, Sylvan & Hans grades 12 & 10
Kaleidoscope: A tube of tiny mirrors and pieces of colored glass turning in a never ending circle. That pretty much sums KIS up – a community of people from various nationalities and cultural backgrounds interacting with each other both on and off campus – bright and cheerful souls bouncing about, continually exploring their own selves and the role they play in society. And to have this experience in India, a country of such diverse sights, sounds and smells is just – well – wonderful! From beach holidays at Kovalam to sojourns in ashrams, trips to the Taj and temples galore, rock forts and shore temple ruins. Elephants, bison, monkeys and cobra, mangoes, papaya, rice and dahl …
We first came to Kodaikanal in 1991 from New Zealand – my husband, 3 small children and me. Our families thought we were mad and we too, at numerous times along the way, wondered at our sanity in making such a journey! However, instantly we were taken up by the Kodai community and thrown into life in a residential school. As working parents, it was so reassuring to know that our children were being cared for either at home or at school by people who had a genuine interest in their well-being. We have tons of photos of little people and various adults all having a great time together participating in field days and Diwali celebrations, birthday parties and drama productions! The 3 soon become 4 and Kodai was “home”.
In 1996 we thought it best to take our little brood back to New Zealand so they may learn something about their own culture and get to know their family back ‘home’. It was a hard transition moving back into a western society with all its hang ups and financial strains! We stayed put for 6 years and then made the decision to return to Kodai. This second trip was a very different story partly because we had to leave our daughter behind and partly because the 3 little boys had grown to 3 moody adolescents! However, after a bit of a rollercoaster start, the eldest on his graduation from KIS said: “It’s been one heck of a ride - I admit it - I love it!” At the end of another 2 years, all our children will have graduated from this special place – KIS has made them realize their academic potential, given them opportunities to be of service to others, indulge in music, sport and drama, hike these misty hills and make life long friendships. Yep – kaleidoscopic – that’s how it’s been! |
