It is with great regret that we inform our school community that Mr Raj, our longest serving custodian departed on Monday night to India. He left for emergency family reasons and we are not sure if he will be returning.
Mr Raj has been with the school since its inception. Originally employed by the landlord of the villa in which the school started, Mr Raj came with us to the new school site at the request of our original Head of School, Ms Sewell.
In those early days, Mr Raj was not only custodian, but he helped the school set up as we moved, he stayed back with teachers who worked late and weekends – and he even cooked for teachers out of concern for their health. He played football with the students and joined staff nights out – the most interesting of which was dinner at a camel farm. He helped set up the very first International Evening and the first of the school shows.
The younger students looked forward to Mr Raj’s daily visit to their classrooms, for the opportunity to wish him a good morning – and as it turned out, Mr Raj was also pleased to come in and be greeted. Mr Raj has two children of his own and it has been for them that he has lived and worked in Oman for so many years.
As the school has grown and systems have been established, there have been fewer interactive opportunities, but Mr Raj has remained a firm friend of the teachers and administration who have been here the longest – particularly Mrs Willis, Miss Liezel, Miss Celine, Ms Saunders and Mr Warrier.
We are very sad to see him go, and we pray that the emergency is resolved with the best outcome possible. We are sorry that the school did not have the opportunity to say goodbye but we do hope that if he is able to return he indeed will.