Bethel Matriculation Higher Secondary School

Ayanavaram can be a very humid place, and Veerasamy Main Street gets quite narrow when the school buses are trying to pass through. Our school is spread across number 13 and 14A. It is an old-fashioned sort of building with corridors that have seen thousands of students over the years. You can hear the ceiling fans whirring in every room, trying to keep the heat down. We don't have a big fancy lobby. Usually, there is just a desk with a register and a bell that someone rings manually. The morning assembly happens in the courtyard, and you can hear the voices carrying over the compound walls into the neighborhood. Chennai life is fast, but inside these gates, we try to keep a steady pace. Teachers are always carrying stacks of notebooks, and there is usually a line of parents waiting to speak to someone at the office. We deal with the usual problems like leaky pipes or a gate that squeaks too much. The students wear their uniforms and carry heavy bags, and at the end of the day, they all rush out toward Ayanavaram Road. It is a noisy, lived-in place. We don't put on a show for anyone. It is just a school where people come to learn and work. The walls have some cracks and the paint is peeling in spots, but it feels like home to us.