Dhanalakshmi Higher Secondary School

If you go to Royapuram in Chennai, you will find Dhanalakshmi Higher Secondary School. We are located on Andiyappa Gramani Street. It is an old area and our address reflects that with the old number 8 and the new number 17. The street is quite narrow and gets very crowded during the rush hours. You can hear the sounds of the city all day long from the classrooms. It is just the way things are in this part of Chennai. Our school is a tall building tucked away among the houses and small shops. The morning assembly is usually a bit loud because the kids are full of energy. We have been part of this neighborhood for a long time. People around here know the teachers and the staff by name. It is not a shiny new campus with glass walls. It is a practical place made of stone and paint that has seen many years. We spend our time teaching the older students for their board exams. There is a lot of pressure during that time of year. In the staff room, we drink tea and talk about the day’s work. Sometimes the water supply is a bit slow or the electricity flickers, but we just carry on. It feels like a big family here most days. The students wear their uniforms and carry heavy bags, walking through the same gates their siblings probably used before them.