GURU LIFE

The Chapel & Chaplaincy

The College Chapel of St. Francis of Assisi continues to play a vital role in the spiritual formation of all our students, not just the Christians.

Daily services of Morning and Night Prayer (Compline) are held during the week, while there is a celebration of the Eucharist on Sunday mornings during term at 9.00.

Bible Studies in all three languages are conducted weekly for interested boys.

The Chaplaincy team also helps with student counselling.

A Servers' Guild and Choir afford opportunities for the Christian boys to use their gifts and talents in the service of God.

Boarding Houses

The traditional Thomian House system was fully revived in the Boarding towards the end of Term 3 and is functioning satisfactorily. Accordingly all boys from the Lower IVth to Form V (Grades 6 – 8) are resident according to their houses in the Junior dormitories while those from the Lower VIth to the Upper VIth are in the Senior dormitories. Inter House Sports events have also been revived.

We have four Houses
De Saram House (named after Mr & Mrs Leslie De Saram who donated the Gurutalawa Farm to the College in 1942 & Canon R. S. De Saram, the founder Warden).
The House colours are Blue & White

Garnier House (named after Bishop M. R. Carpenter-Garnier of Colombo who is reputed to have invited Dr R. L. Hayman to Ceylon to work at STC Mount Lavinia in the 1920s along with Mr W. T. Keble)
The House Colours are Black & White

Hayman House (named after the legendary Dr W. R. L. & Mrs Mary Hayman)
The House Colours are Maroon & White

Read House (named after Warden the Revd Philip Read of STC Mutwal)
The House Colours are Green & White

Dormitories

The Headmaster is a regular visitor to the Dormitories and standards of order and discipline within the Boarding are being raised.

There are four senior dormitories and four junior dormitories for the four Houses (De Saram, Garnier, Hayman & Read) as well as two intermediate dormitories (Foster for Grade 6 students and Jayasinghe for Grade 9 students not ready for the senior dorms).

With the increase in the number of Boarders we had to open a second intermediate dormitory for Grade 9 students (the Illangakoon dormitory named after former Headmaster M. L. C. Illangakoon).

What prevails after 2.20 p. m. in a Boarding School must be that the School becomes ‘Home away from home’ for our boys and girls. A warm, friendly and family atmosphere must prevail together with the necessary safeguards to preserve discipline and order. This is a time tested system and one that we continue to foster at Gurutalawa.

Keble & Blanchard Dormitories

The resident girls are housed in the Blanchard Dormitory where they are under the care of the Matron of Keble and the House Master of Keble.

The Lower School boy boarders are all housed in the Keble Dormitory.

The Sick Room

The Sickroom continues to serve its purpose. Children in need of medical treatment are taken to the DMO at the Boralanda Rural Hospital.

The College Kitchen

We continued to provide a balanced diet for our Boarders at a very reasonable rate. A Food Committee chaired by the Headmaster and on which the Head Prefect represents the students meets regularly to plan menus. A dietician has been helping us with formulating our menus.

With the revival of the College Farm, the children are also able to have fresh vegetables from our own cultivation plots. They also receive fresh milk, eggs and chicken.

The College Farm

The College Farm continues to be an integral part of the School. The Farm supplied eggs, chicken, milk and vegetables for the use of the School.

The Farm is an ideal resource for the teaching of Agriculture as well as offering practical hands on training to boys interested in farming.

While our primary goal was to produce sufficient eggs, milk and chicken and grow sufficient vegetables for our own consumption we also have outsiders interested in purchasing these from time to time and so we opened a vegetable stall outside the main gate to facilitate sales to those passing by.

The College Shop

The College Shop (formerly the Cooperative Stores) stocks many things required by the Boarders and others resident on the campus.

The College Bakery

The Bakery provides the required bread, buns and cakes for the consumption of the College community. The Cookery Club uses the facilities for their baking activities as well.

Film Shows

In addition to the weekly film show the Boarders now have a satellite connection courtesy and old boy and a parent and thereby have more access to educational and sports channels that are invaluable. A Film Club was formed to run the Friday and Saturday film shows.

The Library

The daily and Sunday newspapers in all three languages are purchased for the children and there are a number of periodicals that we received from time to time. The reading habit is one that we are keen to encourage here as there are less distractions such as internet and TV.

A Library Club has been formed and Junior Librarians appointed to help with the work in the Library.

SOCIETIES & CLUBS

A member of staff was appointed to coordinate the various Clubs and Societies of the School. Children are encouraged to be involved in the activities of these groups.
The following Clubs & Societies are functional at present.
Choir
Altar Servers' Guild
Student Christian Movement
Buddhist Students Society
Hindu Students Society
Islamic Students Society
English Literary and Debating Society
Sinhala Literary Society
Tamil Literary Society
Landscaping & Gardening Club
Oriental Music Society
Oriental Dancing Society
Art & Craft Club
Photographic Club
The Cookery Club
Interact Club
Agriculture Club
Science Society
The Horse Riding Club
Scouting & Cubbing
The College Magazine
Seylan Bank Savings Unit

SPORTS AND GAMES

We have facilities for the following sports and games at the School and we encourage all students to participate in at least two. Games time is compulsory each day from 3.30 p.m. To 5.20 p.m.
Athletics
Badminton
Rugby Football
Cricket
Basket Ball
Swimming
Volleyball
Squash
Table Tennis
Carrom
Chess
Soccer
Hockey