Teachers Appreciation Event - HSS Milford

Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh Hosts Annual Teacher Appreciation Event in Milford

Milford Chapter of Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) hosted annual Teacher’s Appreciation Event at Margaret Egan Center in Milford CT, hosting teachers, educators and coaches from various towns in New Haven and Fairfield Counties. HSS is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, non-political organization whose members engage in social work across communities in States in USA. HSS has 250 chapters across USA with 8 chapters in CT. Each year during the month of May, HSS celebrates Teacher Appreciation Day,’ which is referred to as “Guruvandana.” Guru, in Sanskrit, means “teacher, spiritual master, and mentor,” while Vandana means “salutations to the teacher.” It is an expression of love, gratitude, and reverence towards teachers. The event focuses on expressing gratitude to teachers for their contributions to the community by imparting knowledge and instilling moral values in the next generation.

40+ teachers, guests and their families joined the event. The chief guest hosted by HSS was Dr Atul Kulkarni, who is a Professor of Marketing at Southern Connecticut State University. The Honorable Mayor of Milford, Mr. Rich Smith, joined the event and spoke about teaching being a noble profession and the important role teachers play in our society. Other guests attending the event included Mr. Adam Scobie, Miss Meghan Doyle and Susan Glennon from the Milford Board of Education.

The event started with the lighting of the lamp, symbolizing the wisdom that teachers bring into our lives. Teachers then participated in light-hearted icebreakers and games. This was followed by a Shloka, which is a poetic verse in Sanskrit by pre-K kids about teachers. Elementary kids demonstrated Yoga in the form of Sun Salutations. Middle school students performed a skit on value of education, followed by high school student’s melodious song. All the performances and the teacher’s felicitation were greatly appreciated by all teachers, guests and board members including Mayor.