St.Anne's Nursery and Primary School

The Orgin

The origin of our Congregation is traced back to 19th Century in the State of Tamilnadu, India. It was founded by Thatipathri Gnanamma, a lay woman. She was an ordinary woman who hailed from Phirangipuram, a small village in Guntur District, Andhra Pradesh. She was given in marriage to Innaiah, a catechist of Phirangipuram. This pious couple were blessed with five sons. Unfortunately, she became a widow at the early age of 37 years. Left all alone with five boys to bring up, she put her entire trust in the Divine Providence and raised her children strong in the basics of the Christian faith. Four of her sons joined the religious life and one settled down in family life. Freed at last from all family commitments, Gnanamma moved to a village called Kilacheri, 40 km from Chennai and settled down there, although she had no acquaintances there. Thus, the infinite wisdom of God led her step to Kilacheri the cradle, the very Bethlehem of the new Congregation..

During her time, the education of young girls was an impossible dream. Gnanamma kept constantly in touch with the illiterate girls in the locality and identified education as a principal means of empowering them. Rev.Fr.Arokianathar, parish priest of Kilacheri, helped her to reflect concretely and go ahead with founding a school for girls in Kilacheri. For the vision to materialize, she started a school exclusively for girls in 1863. Inspired by the committed service to the cause of women, two young girls requested Gnanamma to let them help her in her awesome work and even expressed their desire to do so as nuns. Gnanamma, who was anxious to ensure that her work should continue, accepted their request and sent them to be formed at St.Anne’s Novitiate of the Good Shepherd Congregation in Bellary. After their initial formation, these two became sisters on 04.10.1874 and thus a religious Congregation with a specific vision for the betterment of women known as “Sisters of St.Anne - Madras” was born. Our Congregation was founded out of the pressing need for empowering the women through education. Therefore, it was the mission that demanded the formation of our Congregation.

The English Medium Primary School:

Started in 1975 in a humble shed, it was the only English Medium School in the area. The strength of the school increased gradually and there was need for a good building for it. Through the efforts of Fr.Kulandairaj SJ and from Beligium as obtained and together with the help from the Congregation, a hall was constructed.

The School draws up the action plan for the year in collaboration with the staff the following goals:

1. All the programmes and Activities aim at the total formation of the students "To Constitute a New Society".
2. Motivating interest in academics and extra curricular activities.
3. To inclucate faith in God, avoiding religious bias.
4. To Love and respect elders with spontaneous obedience.