My lord bishop Keerthisiri Fernando – the Vicar General of the Diocese of Kurunegala, the chief guest of the T150 Sesquicentennial Anniversary Prize Giving – Prof. Thanganmuthu Jayasingam, madam Jayasingam, members of the Board of Governors, Hon Tikiri Kobbekaduwa – Governor of the Sabaragamuwa Province, members of the College Executive Council, members of the College Management Team, madam Deepika Nilanthi – the secretary of the Prize Giving Committee, eminent members of tutorial staff, distinguished guests, parents, old boys, and my dear students, may I extend a very respectful welcome to the T150 Sesquicentennial Anniversary Prize Giving of 2022.

It is with a heart-filled with praise and gratitude to the most Holy Trinity, I stand before you as the 20th custodian of Trinity College Kandy, and in my third year in office, to deliver the principal’s report for the year under consideration. This will be a brief presentation of a comprehensive prize report, which will be available on the College Website.

When we consider personalities to be the chief guest for this august event, one of the primary criteria is to see whether the individual embodies the core values of Trinity College, i.e., charity, humility, and service. Dear Prof. Jayasingam, in you we see the full flowering of what Trinity stands for, and in that context please allow me to present a glimpse into your life’s journey for the edification of this assembly.
Born on the 29th of January 1955 in Chenkalladi, Batticaloa, Thanganmuthu Jayasingam joined Trinity in 1964 as a boarder in grade 06. He found a ‘home away from home’ at the lower Squillary, and later in the Ryde house. During his tenure as a student, he achieved the triple crowns which would be the dream of any Trinitian: prefect, library curator and editor. In the centenary year of Trinity, he left College. Sir, we are delighted and honored to have you as the chief guest as you mark fifty years after leaving Trinity.

Prof. Jay, as he is fondly called, entered the university of Peradeniya in 1973 and passed out in 1977 with a B. Sc in Botany. In 1985, Prof. Jayasingam completed his doctorate in ‘plant population biology’ from the University of Wales. During his academic formation, Professor has obtained many diplomas and certificates from universities around the globe. Adding further credence to his versatile academic career, at the age of 39, he obtained an LLB degree from the Open University of Sri Lanka and completed his attorney-at-lay qualification in 2007. I am sure, the formation he received at Trinity to become a life-long learner and his interest in human rights prompted Prof. Jayasingam to enter the legal profession. He also sent his son to study at Trinity. Looking at his post-Trinity academic journey, it is not surprising to see the many and varied publications and research of our chief guest.

From 1981 to 2022, Prof. Jayasingam served as professor of Botany at the Eastern University of Sri Lanka and in 2016, he was appointed as the vice chancellor of the same university. In 2017 he was appointed to the Public Services Commission, Eastern Province. In his professional career spanning over 30 years, Prof. Jayasingam has served in many national and international agencies and professional bodies contributing immensely towards development and sustainability. My lord bishop, ladies and gentlemen and students, there was something in professor’s profile that caught my attention. In 1990, with the escalation of hostilities at the outbreak of the 2nd phase of the armed conflict, which resulted in the mass exodus of people from their homes, Prof. Jayasingam took up the challenge of managing a refugee camp in the Eastern University, which provided a secure ambience for 40,000 inmates. It is from this aspect of professor’s journey that I wish to address you my dear students of Trinity. Today, you are here because you have excelled in academics, sports and co-curricular activites. Ask yourselves, “what does it mean to be a Triniian?”. This gentleman who stands before you this evening, who left the portals of this great seat of erudition and culture half a century ago, was exposed to the triple Trinity values of charity, humility, and service. Whole of his life, he has not only embodied these values, but also served passionately to make a positive impact on the lives of many. That is the challenge, I place before you, albeit a formidable one in this complex world – be formed by the inviolable ethos of Trinity and become a fire that kindles other fires. Your school, your country demands it from you.

We began the anniversary year with a simple, yet solemn celebration of the Founder’s Day thanksgiving service presided over by his lordship Dushantha Rodrigo, bishop of Colombo and the Chairman of the Board of Governors commemorating the inauguration of the T150 Sesquicentennial Anniversary Celebration. Prof. Malik Ranasinghe eloquently delivered the inaugural Fraser Memorial Oration with Dr. Romesh Ranawana giving an apt response. The T150 Sesquicentennial Anniversary framework was a clarion call to the Trinity Family to focus on exploring vistas of excellence. T150 College Celebrations were built on 4 noble pillars: celebrating the past, mapping the future, service to humanity and care for our common home. May I recall with gratitude, the dynamic role played by the staff, school officers’ guild and especially the Student Task Force [STF] in driving the anniversary year program with the motto – “for the students – by the students”.

School Statistics for the Year 2022

Student population as of 31st December 2022

Junior School – 831
Junior Secondary [Middle School] – 911
Senior Secondary [Upper School] – 1127
TCK IQ – 93
Total = 2962

Total Ac. Staff / Ad. Staff / Support Staff 31/12/2022

Academic – 205

Departures and new arrivals for Ac. staff for 2022

Academic (Entries) – 23
Academic (Exits) – 23
Academic (Retired) – 6

Retired Staff

Academic (Retired) – 6
Admin (Retired) – 3
Support (Retired) – 4
Total =13

I wish to note with gratitude the services of Mr. Ravi Amerasekara [head of administration] who retired at the end of last year, and the senior members of the academic staff – Mr. Sivalingam Rajendrampillai, Mr. Sarath Heenagama, Mrs. Umanga Udulagama, Mr. Aruna Nawaratna and Mr. Maseline Xavier, Mr. Jayamanna, Mr. Jayathilaka Band and Mrs. Selladurai Pushparani from administration and support staff who left us at the end of 2022. They served Trinity with diligence and commitment for over many years. We also bade farewell to Mr. Palitha Nawaratna who took over as principal of S. Thomas’ College Bandarawela.

Academic Activities

Curricular [teaching-learning and assessment] activities form the bed rock of modern education. It is our belief that Trinity should possess a robust academic model built on the 21st century learning competencies: collaboration, communication, content, critical thinking, creativity, and confidence [6Cs of 21st century education]. In this backdrop allow me to present the academic achievements for the year 2021 / 2022:

At the GCE O/L 2021 examination held in the month of May 2022, Trinity recorded a 98% pass rate with 31 students obtaining 9As. We congratulate the O/L faculty lead by Mr. Sahana Vajirasena for continuing to produce very high pass rates. At the GCE A/L examination held in February 2022, 61.5% [from 236 students] of our students achieved eligibility for university entrance with:

• Arts stream achieving 70.6% with 01 student with 3 A
• Commerce section 64% with 04 students obtaining 3As.
• Physical Science – 56.1% and 05 students with 3As
• Biological Science – 65.7% and 11 students obtaining 3A. We congratulate Mast. Disura Jayaratne, who ranked 1st in the district and 3rd island.
• Technology achieved a 71.5% pass rate.

Trinity College International Qualification – Advanced Level continued their excellent record with 93.1% success. We acknowledge the dedication of Mr. Kanchana Galagoda, Mrs. Nalika Gunaratna and Mr. Eranda Rajapathirana and the respective faculties for their committed efforts.

Should we be content with what we have achieved? Do these achievements reflect our potential vis-à-vis the human and physical resources we possess? It is our collective view that Trinity should aspire to achieve greater heights in all spheres of education. Hence, we are committed to empower our students to reach higher academic excellence at public examinations and education achievement. Thus, we have called for a “Classroom Revolution” in 2023!

Sports at Trinity

Sports at Trinity have been an integral part for a long time. It has immensely contributed to the formation of an all-round and integral human person. Over the years, especially at the dawn of the new millennium school sports have evolved into an intensely competitive aspect of education. One may even ask whether school sports have lost its formative dimension of the child. At Trinity, the importance of sports cannot be overstated. Today, education theory consider sports and its innumerable benefits, ranging from physical fitness to mental and emotional wellbeing as an integral part of holistic education.

During the anniversary year we almost returned to the intense Trinity sports itinerary. Undoubtedly, managing 17 sports is challenging. Yet, during the anniversary we have achieved commendable results in sports:

Rugby Football

At Trinity Rugby Football is more than a sport. Its like a double-edged sword! If successful, the rest of Trinity is irrelevant. If failed, one may risk total anarchy. The latter could unleash tectonic reaction in the Trinity universe. In 2022, we witnessed the return of schools’ rugby. In the league tournament, Trinity played 5 games, winning 4 and loosing 1 match and was unfortunate to have missed the super round. Even tough the coveted Bradby shield eluded us once more, Trinity beat their rivels twice in 2022 [once in the league and the 2nd leg of Bradby]. I wish to recall with gratitude the role played by Mr. Channa Pathirana and his committee of the Old Trinitian Rugby Scrummage, the head coach Mr. Kavinda Jayasena and his team of coaches for their commitment. May I also take this opportunity to wish the new committee of OTRS led by the dynamic double lion Nilantha Ratnayake and his committee and Mr. Fazil Marija and his team of coaches for a successful 2023 Trinity Rugby campaign. Gentlemen, we have some important unfinished business!

Allow me to present a panoramic view of Trinity sports in the anniversary year:

Cricket

• In Junior Cricket the Under 13 team was selected to the quarter finals of the All Island Under 13 Division 1 tournament.
• Under 17 team emerged as all Island Champions of the Under 17 Division 1 tournament.
• 1st XI (2021/2022) team
  • retained the R.L. Kannangara Memorial trophy against Wesley College, Colombo
  • Retained the Mahela – Sanga Trophy against Nalanda College, Colombo
  • Retained the Richard Aluwihare Memorial trophy against St. Anthony’s College, Kandy at the 40th One Day Encounter.
  • Emerged as champions at the Kandy Schools Provincial Level T20 Tournament organized by the Central Province Department of Education.

• 1st XI (2022/2023)
  • After a lapse of 10 years Trinity became the champions of the All Island Under 19 Division 1 Tier A Tournament defeating Richmond College, Galle.

May I express my thanks to the Mr. Clifford Fernando and his committee of the Cricket Foundation, head coach Mr. Naveen Ekanayaka and his team, the MICs for their commitment. We have also introduced a ‘demerit point system’ to mitigate the unhealthy influences on Trinity Cricket in particular and Trinity sports in general. This system will come to effect from the 2nd term of 2023.

Weightlifting

Weightlifting had a ‘dream run’ in 2022 with many successes.

• Champions at the Junior Novices Weightlifting Championship 2022 held at Poddiwala National College in February 2022.
• All Island Inter School Weightlifting Championship organized by the Sri Lanka Schools Weightlifting Powerlifting Strength Building Federation held in August 2022 at M/Rajagiriya Vidyalaya, Aranayake.
• Champions at the ‘All-Island School Games 2022‘organized by the Ministry of Education, Sri Lanka.
• Runners-up at the “Junior and Senior National Weightlifting Championship 2022” at the Galewala Sports Complex, Polonnaruwa held in November 2022.
• The Powerlifting Championship organized by the Physical Culture Club of Trinity College Kandy was back after a long lapse of 7 years. The Championship was held on the 24th of September 2022, at the Wewelpitiya Public Gymnasium.

Athletics

• The Trinity College Athletics Team, after 18 years emerged Overall Champions at the Central Province Athletics Meet 2022 with 170 points. The meet was held at the Bogambara Stadium in September 2022. The meet featured schools from across the Central Province representing 15 Zones.
• The Trinity College Athletics Team performed exceptionally well at the All-Island School Games 2022 and bagged many achievements. The meet was held at Sugathadasa Stadium, Colombo in December 2022. The highlight of the school games was when Mast. M A Riffai set a new meet record (1st) in the U-16 300m hurdle.

May I recall with gratitude the services of Mr. Ariyaratne – our senior athletics coach, who retired from service at the end of 2022 after a period of 37 years.

Swimming

In June 2022, we inaugurated a new multi-tier framework for Trinity Swimming, which comprised of the Junior school “learn to swim” programme, squads B and C and the Trinity High Performance team in collaboration with the Trinity Swimming Foundation. This initiative bore immediate results:

• Placed 2nd at the Junior National Aquatic Championship 2022, held at Sugathadasa Swimming Pool Complex in October 2022.
• Champions with 362 points at the Central Province National School Games Meet, held at Digana Sports Complex in October 2022.
• Emerged 4th Place overall in the Championship – National School Games 2022.

Hockey

• Trinity Under 19 Hockey team emerged victorious playing against S. Thomas’ College, Mt. Lavinia (Western Province Schools Champions 2022) and won the ‘Warden Neville De Alwis Shield ‘.
• Trinity 1XI Hockey team emerged victorious playing against Royal College, Colombo and won the ‘J.C.A Corea Memorial Trophy ‘.
• Mast. Kasthuri Jayalath won Sri Lanka school colours for 2022.

My thanks to the Trinity Hockey Foundation.

Boxing

• The Boxing team also became 3rd at the LV Jayaweera boxing tournament held in July 2022 at St. Sylvesters College.
• Placed 2^nd in the 51st TB Jayah All Island Boxing Tournament 2022 in September 2022.
• They were also placed 7th at the Stubb’s participating with 85 schools in October 2022 at the Nawalapitiya stadium.

Golf

• Mast. Haroon Aslam became the first Trinitian ever to be named for the National Golf Team after his stunning performance at the National Ranking Tournament.

Football

• Football is a very popular sport at Trinity with a high number of student participation. During the year 2022, Trinity Under 20 football team emerged group champions in the Sri Lanka School’s Football Federation Tournament held in December 2022 at the Pallekele Rugby Stadium.

Cadetting

• The Trinity College Cadet Band finished All Island 10^th and 2^nd in Central Province at the All-Island Western Cadet Band Competition 2022 organized by the National Cadet Corps in September 2022 at NCCTC, Rantambe.

We have introduced a school-based cadetting initiative for our O/L students with the view of improving their physical and psychological well-being.

Basketball

Trinity Under-18 Basketball team emerged joint champions with Gateway College Kandy at the Under 18 Schools Central Zonal, held at the Maliyadeva College in October 2022.

Chess

Mast. Jenith Wiratunga represented Sri Lanka twice in September 2022 at the World Youth Chess Championship in Romania and Youth Olympiad in Azerbaijan in September 2022.

The T150 Inter-House Sports Meet was held on the 18^th of March 2022 with Mr. & Mrs. Eraj Rajapakse gracing the occasion as the chief guest and the Central Boarding House stamped their dominance yet again by retaining the championship.

I wish to note my appreciation to Mr. Shane De Silva who held the position of Prefect of Games during the 1^st half of the anniversary year, the Prefect of Games – Mr. Uththiya Wijesinghe, the Sports Council, Coaches, Sports Coordinators, MICs, Facility Managers, and staff for their service.

School sports have undergone exponential changes, often to the detriment of the integral growth of the child. Abject competition, unwarranted parental interference, lack of due process and professional standards, desire to ‘win at any cost’, lack of mentors, substance abuse, lack of attention for injury management and child wellbeing, etc. are making serious inroads to school sports. Hence, time is opportune for Trinity to assess the existing sports management model and launch a comprehensive and avant garde sports management model based on sound scientific criteria that will unleash and enhance the potential of our students. The proposed “Spirit of Lions” Trinity Sports Management Paradigm intends to focus on student wellbeing, skill-development, and high performance.

Trinity College Co-Curricular Enrichment Initiative [TCCEI]

A significant T150 Sesquicentennial Anniversary initiative was the launch of the Trinity College Co-Curricular Enrichment Initiative as a management framework for co-curricular activites. The over-riding vision of the TCCEI was to help the students to become ‘solution providers’ to the plethora of challenges confronting humanity in the 21st century. Further, this initiative intends to operationalize the all-round and holistic education model at Trinity College.

Co-curricular activities are the activities that complement academic learning and take place outside of the regular classroom environment. The TCCEI functioned with a set of clear objectives: 

• Skills [professional and soft] Development: the TCCEI provides an opportunity for students to develop various skills that are not necessarily taught in the classroom. These skills may include leadership, communication, teamwork, problem-solving, time management, and many more. In essence, the TCCEI strives to inculcate the hallmarks of the 21^st century leaner: critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and creativity. 
• Encouraging creativity: the TCCEI fosters creativity and innovation among students in the realms of science, industry, commerce, arts, and humanities. Activities such as music, drama, art, and creative writing can help students to express themselves and explore their creative potential, while passionately indulging in the specific academic stream. 
• Enhancing physical and mental wellbeing: the TCCEI provides the student the framework to apply their in-class knowledge, skills, and attitudes in outdoor events, which can help students to maintain a healthy lifestyle and improve their physical fitness and mental wellbeing. 
• Providing socialization opportunities: Co-curricular activities can help students to develop social skills and build relationships with their peers. This can help to create a sense of belonging and improve overall well-being. 
• Building character: Co-curricular activities can help to develop character traits such as perseverance, discipline, and responsibility. These traits can help students to succeed in both academic and personal endeavors.

As a way of easing the resource constraints of the “clubs & societies” of College, the TCCEI initiated a broad-based conversation to rationalize co-curricular activities. As a result, we managed to reduce the number of clubs & societies to 43 by the beginning of the anniversary year. The reduction was affected by amalgamating various clubs & societies into clusters. Currently, the TCCEI has 43 clubs & societies and most of their annual events are done as collaborations. Under the TCCEI mandate, the TCK co-curricular activities are devided into six domains and within these domains, the clubs & societies function with a clear vision, mission, objectives, strategies, and action plan [VMOSA]. Each carries a specific portfolio with clearly identified staff advisors and student leaders. During the last year, the TCCEI were able to:

• Maintenance of Web portfolios for each co-curricular activity. 
• Appointment of a team of academic staff members under the leadership of a teacher in charge as a step of organizational restructuring process to operate the Co-curricular activities efficiently.  
• Introduction of MS teams and email platforms for communication related to co-curricular activities. 
• Update the college calendar events in the main Web page.

The six domains of the TCCEI are:

Religious & Value Education Domain comprises of the Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, and Islamic student movements.  All four religious communities celebrated their respective traditional ceremonies with devotion and simplicity. It is our prayer that these four noble religious traditions will contribute to the formation of the integral human person within comparative religious ethos that respects unity in diversity.

Aesthetics Domain 

National Drum and Dance troupe

2022 marks the 50^th anniversary of the establishment of the Trinity College National Drum and Dance Troup. In January 2022, the NDDT had the “Muhurath” ceremony for the traditional VES Ceremony, which was held in July 2022. 36 students installed at this ceremony. The troupe participated and won the 1^st place in Zonal and the Provincial levels for Drum Orchestra completions organize by the Ministry of Education. 10 members and two officials participated at the Petaling Jaya International Folklore Festival 2022” organized by Petaling Jaya City Council Selangor Malaysia, with the cooperation of CIOFF Malaysia. The NDDT continues to add glamor to all College events.

Oriental Music Society

The year 2022 marked the inauguration and the relocation of the new Oriental Music arena – a gift by the past members of the Oriental Music Society. This gift also included all the musical instruments required for the orchestra. The music troupe won the all-island Competition organized by the Ministry of Education. The music troupe organized for the first time “Parapuraka Arambuma”, to mark the opening of the new arena.

Western Music Society

The 150th Anniversary year was a very successful and memorable year for the Western Music Society. Trinity’s Western Music Society emerged victorious at the All-island Western Music and Dance Competition 2022 organized by the Ministry of Education. The Senior Choral Group of Trinity College Kandy emerged as 1st runners-up in the Senior Choir category. Adding more victory to this Victorious year of the Trinity College Western Music Society, they once again showcased their superlative vocal abilities at the “Sri Lanka Festival of Music, Dance and Speech 2022”, organized by the International Institute of Music, Speech and Drama (IIMSD) held in November, 2022, at the New Town hall, Colombo. At this event, the Junior Choral group won the Joy Ferdinando Memorial Trophy for Best outstanding performance along with the GJ Walter Silva Memorial Trophy for “Best Overall choir (under 19)”. The Senior Choral group participated in the “Religious Choir” category, where they endowed with the title “Outstanding performance” at the Sri Lanka Festival Senior religious songs.

Language and Cultural Domain 

Sinhalese Literary Union

The Sinhala Literary Union organized the 15^th installment of the trademark “Wag Pratibha 2022” with the participation of 40 school from across the island. Simultaneously, the “Sahitha 2022” inter-school Sinhala literature competition was also held, and literary works were received from more than 60 schools in the island.

English Debating Society

2022 was an exceptionally successful year for English Debating at Trinity College. The highlight of the year was the successful organization of the third edition of the Hon. Lakshman Kadirgamar Memorial Debating Championship, physically at the Trinity College premises. This was the first national English Debating competitions held physically outside of the Western province. Trinity Debaters, emerged champions at three national tournaments in 2022: the Sri Lanka Schools Debating Championship organized by the Law Faculty of the University of Colombo, the Shanthi Peiris Memorial Debating Championship organized by Methodist College, and the Inter-School Debating Championship organized by the Royal Institute of Colombo. They also became champions at the K. M. de Lanerolle Memorial Debating Championship. We recall with gratitude the services of Mr. Lithmal Jayawardena in all these achievements.

Japanese Club

The Japanese Culture Society of Trinity College organized the Japanese cultural exhibition on the 4th of November 2022 at the Trinity College Main Hall. The event proved to be a diverse moment full of colour, with the anime and origami artworks, traditional Japanese dances and music and well-loved Japanese food. The Japanese cultural exhibition 2022 created an opportunity for Trinity’s Japanophiles to showcase their talents and their love and passion towards Japan. Further, he Japanese Culture Society participated in the All-island Japanese Drama Competition organized by the Royal College Class of ’77 and Royal College, in collaboration with the Embassy of Japan in Sri Lanka.

STEM Domain 

Design Club TCK

During the year 2022, the Design Club became a part of almost every major event to convert the proceedings into something more than the usual. Decoration activities at the sesquicentennial anniversary Track & Field Competition, Hill country Battle of the Blues and the 76^th Bradby Encounter can be mentioned as some. Also mainly, the Design Club has played a major role in contributing to the college website from the aspect of graphic designing. The newly introduced College Branding guidelines was introduced with the involvement of the Design Club and a new procedure in which all the graphic related material of every club/society and sports team approaching the Design Club for their public relation’s purposes was implemented. All the above-mentioned involvements and activities were smoothly initiated proving the fact that the year 2022 was a revolutionary year for the Design Club of Trinity College Kandy

Young Zoologists’ Club

Members of the Young Zoologists’ Club (YZC) have organized several events as independent projects and collaborated projects. The club was affiliated with the Young Zoologists Association of the National Zoological Gardens Dehiwala (YZA). Using the resources of the Biosystem Technology laboratory, which was inaugurated in 2022, YZC started a series of research ventures to examine the embryology of birds. As a result, members discovered the many growth stages of the chicks during the hatching process. Members of the YZC got diplomas, and the National Science Foundation has chosen their 2021 project, “Barking deer population Dynamics in Udawattekaleya,” for publication in a journal print. YZC members developed a GPS collar for monitoring wild animals and free-ranging animals in partnership with the Faculty of Agriculture and Technology of TCK.

Social and Community Domain 

Social Service Union

The Social Service Union, one of the oldest clubs at Trinity, organized a project where all the members repaired and donated school furniture through World Vision Lanka. These were donated to children of a School in the Nuwara Eliya district. The project “A Drop of deliverance to the Ocean of suffering” was held in the October 2022, where the SSU extended a helping hand to support the students of Thakshila MahaVidyalaya, Kandy. This charity project was intended to assist needy students in their nutrition and other learning requirements. Many students from the Upper School and teachers generously contributed to this worthy endeavour “. The SSU concluded the year with a collaborative effort with the Culinary Club, the Student Christian Movement, Library Council, Media Unit, Design Club and Tourism Club, to organize the colorful “Christmas Fiesta”. The proceeds of this event were used to provide stationary for the children of Trinity support staff.

Interact Club

In 2022 Interact Club, one of the most vibrant units at Trinity, conducted a series of T150 related projects: medical camp with the collaboration of Trinity Doctors’ Association, tree planting campaign with the collaboration of Alakolla State Plantations, “Dribble”- basketball tournament, “Intercric”- cricket tournament, etc. The club won four awards at the District Interact Assembly resulting the Interact Club of Trinity College being awarded many district awards and appointments to the District Council. The highlight of the year was when the Interact Club of Trinity College was awarded the Platinum standard award for the first time in its 45-year existence and the club was placed among the best 20 Interact Clubs in the island.

Sri Lanka Unites – Trinity College Chapter

The Sri Lanka Unites chapter of Trinity College is a community service driven club , and one of the very few school based chapters of the parent organization, Sri Lanka Unites, established in the island. Following a challenging couple of years owing to the pandemic, the club was able to initiate its activities with ‘’Squad Games’’, another instalment of the Annual Trinity-Ladies’ Joint initiative. This event took place in the month of February at the Blues’ Basketball Court, Colombo 05, which featured a 3×3 Basketball tournament, seeing the participation of over 200 players from all over Sri Lanka. All proceeds from this project were donated towards the development of the educational infrastructure in the rural region of ‘’Meemure’’, on the border of the Central Hills . The members of both schools were able to visit Meemure as a part of this project as well. The chapter also initiated ‘’Project Endeavour’’ in the month of October , in view of the Children’s’ Day celebrations. This project saw a school wide collection drive for stationery, toys, and monetary donations, in which students of all grades took part extremely enthusiastically. All proceeds and collections were donated to the Blue Rose School for Special Needs Education in Gannoruwa.

Scouting

Ignition ‘22 organized by the 17^th Kandy Trinity College Scout Group was held at the Junior School Grounds on the 5^th of February 2022. Seven Trinity scouts passed the President Scouts’ interview for 2022.

Commerce and Entrepreneurship Domain 

Culinary and Hospitality Club

The Culinary Club strived to enlighten young Trinitians who are interested in culinary arts through demonstrations, competitions, field visits, and other events. “Flora T150” the first event of the year, planted spices and herbs in the junior school grounds. This event was done in collaboration with the Tourism and Hospitality Club. One of the main events of the year was the inaugural “Inter House Culinary Competition” held in October 2022. In commemoration of “World Food Day,” the club organized a webinar on “Food Safety.”

Special Units:

College Choir continues the rich Trinity choral tradition around the year. The TCMU [Trinity College Media Unit] for providing the much-needed visibility to all Trinity Events. Trinity College Library Council who successfully concluded “Rediscovering Trinity” webinar series. The Library Council organized the annual library lay and the Trinity College Research Competition successfully.

TCK PROMWEB is a revolutionary collaborative and interactive platform comprising of TCK Promotions, Trinity College Media Unit and TCK Web & social media. The PROMWEB is responsible for the virtual Trinity, where all our activites are given wider coverage in keeping with the newly established TCK Brand guidelines. This platform provides the students with hands-on experience with content creation, brand management and virtual visibility.

May I note with appreciation the efficient leadership of Mr. Wasana Dissanayaka as the TCCEI Coordinator and the silent commitment of all the MICs of Co-Curricular activities and professional expertise of the coordinators of PROMWEB. The TCCEI will continue to expand and explore the frontiers of professionalism and human potential in establishing a robust and sustainable co-curricular programme at Trinity.

As we formally close the T150 Sesquicentennial Anniversary year, allow me to provide a brief over views of the projects undertaken. The T150 Infrastructure Initiative is in its final project – the laboratory complex. This initiative ably led by the A&OC successfully concluded the refurbishment of the Alison Boarding, Napier Multi-Purpose Learning Arena, the Basketball courts and construction of the New Class Block. I thank Mr. Duminda Hulangamuwa and the members for their assistance.   

T150 History Project, under the inspirational guidance of Mr. Mohamed Mushin has entered the editorial phase and we eagerly look forward to the completion of the publications and the TCK History website. T150 College Celebrations formally concluded on the 17^th of January 2023 with the Founder’s Day service and the issuance of the first day cover. During the preceding year, we successfully implemented the new finance system and formalized the student information system and Trinity College grants.

A Reality Check

We are now in a situation of significant movement of students and staff. In the latter, we see increased number of students leaving institutional education and opting for more flexible learning avenues. A recent survey indicates that parents are considering global education option to mitigate the inherent complexities of national education. Prolonged closure of schools have not helped us in retaining our most important assert, the student. To make matters worse, lucrative employment options  within the country and offshore are attracting our mission-critical staff, making the challenging task of creating a stable and sustainable school community a formidable one. Further, the dominant trends in society – mediocrity, indecency, lack of finesse and permissiveness are making subtle inroads diluting the perennial Trinity ethos. This unstable school climate calls for innovative institutional interventions. May I now present to you, the post-T150 Road Map:

Post-T150 Road Map

It is our firm belief that the T150 Anniversary of this great seat of erudition should make a lasting impact on the future of Trinity College. In a country that thrives on grand metanarratives and shallow promises, allow me to present the Post-T150 Road Map that will guide the destinies of our alma mater for the future. It is critically imperative that the Trinity Community resolutely focuses on this journey towards excellence to mitigate the impact of the current plight facing our island nation.

Vision

We foster a flagship school community that imparts a holistic learning experience to nurture a balanced human person.

• To impart the core values of charity, humility, and service to the students.
• To be at the forefront of innovative education emphasizing the “right mix” between curricular / co-curricular activities and sports.
• To enhance human flourishing by imparting a balanced and student-centered education model, preserving the right relation between body, mind, and spirit towards forming a Christ-like character.
• To promote and safeguard diversity and inclusiveness in the school community forming committed citizens of Sri Lanka and the world.
• To foster balanced, refined, future-ready citizens, prepared for the society, global workplace, and personal success. 
• To nurture creativity, critical thinking, connectedness, and collaboration towards exploring vistas of excellence.
• To establish a purpose-driven education model encapsulating literacy, numercy, life-skills, work-readiness, and social consciousness. 
• To strengthen the social fabric of Trinity by nurturing the bonds between the four-fold communities – students, staff, parents, and old boys.

Mission Statement

• We exist as private college providing holistic education for students based on sound Christian principles.
• We seek to be in the forefront of global educational innovation, by providing excellent academic opportunities culminating in the best mix of qualifications appropriate to the aspirations of the nation and the global trends.
• Our boarding offers a caring, comfortable and secure environment with strong emphasis on the development of the whole person – body, mind, and spirit.
• Our “Spirit of Lions” Sports Initiative, Co-Curricular Enrichment Initiative and “Arts for Life” Aesthetic Platform will be avant-garde and will offer equitable opportunities for students. 
• Our unique history spanning over 150 years, aptly embodied in the College Chapel, acts as a focus for the Trinity Community, reminding us of our foundational values in forming God-fearing, caring, dedicated human beings, willing to serve humanity and foster ‘our common home’ in bringing about a just, free, loving society in the footsteps of our founding fathers.

It is our ardent hope and prayer that the Trinity Community will rally around the above mission and vision and assist us to march on during these challenging times.

2023 Priority Thrust Areas

1. Trinity Life and Culture – Trinity College is much more than sum of its institutional parts. It is an ethos that has produced men [and women] deeply rooted in their values and convictions. We discern a crucial need to inculcate this message in the Trinity community. This school should never ever sacrifice her sacrosanct values on the altar of social expectations and trends.

• Trinity Academy – the diversification of the Trinity academic model on par with the best practices in global education. This calls for a multi-dimensional ‘classroom revolution’ that creates a resilient and sustainability learning environment. Our effort is to anticipate the new education reforms proposed by the ministry of education.

• National Integration – the 30-year protracted armed conflict and recent political maneuvers have revealed the tragedy of segregation and how vulnerable this country is in managing diversity. As a safeguard towards sustained reconciliation and national integration, we aspire to become a Trilingual Community by 2025.

• Trinity Sports – as the existing sports management model has run its course, we hope to inaugurate the “Spirit of Lions” Sports Management Framework towards the latter part of 2023. This innovative venture will envision a new era of Trinity sports having the child and his potential as the central focus.

• Trinity Co-Curricular Enrichment Initiative and the “Arts for Life” Aesthetic Platform will continue to explore new frontiers of professionalism and creativity.

• Trinity College Center for Excellence – we believe that providing our students with the resources and support they need to explore and prepare for their future careers is a critical component of their education. The TC Center for Excellence aspires to empower our students to make informed decisions about their careers, and to help them develop the skills, knowledge, and values they need to lead meaningful and successful lives.

• Trinity College Administration and Support Services – we strive to establish an agile and efficient School Administration Model at the service of the primary school relationship i.e. teacher and the child in the classroom by developing and strengthening sustainable school-based institutions that will have the child as the key focus.

• Modernize Trinity Extensions – the Trinity Eco Learning Arena [TELA – formally TTI in Pallekele] and the Trinity College William Sinnathambi Farm will be transformed to accommodate student for the innovative ‘class without walls’ programme. Through this initiative we hope educate the Trinitian on critical themes such as biodiversity, climate change and conservation.

Acknowledgements:

“O give thanks to the Lord for He is good, for his love endures forever” says the Psalmist in the Bible. We are simply the beneficiaries of God’s enduring love. The resilience Trinity has shown in the face of the unfolding natural and man-made calamities testify that our collective discernment is authentic and acceptable.

I wish to note my sentiments of appreciation to the Rt. Rev. Dushantha Rodrigo – the chairman of the Board of Governors and all the Board members for their commitment to Trinity and the guidance they provide in steering the destinies of our beloved alma mater. My heartfelt thanks to Prof. T. Jayasingam and Madam Jayasingam for gracing this august occasion T150 Sesquicentennial Anniversary Prize Giving.

Any Principal would consider it a blessing to have as his most trusted colleagues three top-notch gentlemen of the CEC – the Vice Principal Mr. Krishanthan Antonydas, the Co-Vice Principal Mr. Ananda Marasinghe, and the Finance Manager Mr. Rukshan Galanga. Trinity is blessed to have your services.

May I also express my sentiments of gratitude to:

1. The Board of Governors and the Board-appointed sub-committees
2. The president Hon. Tikiri Kobbekaduwa  and members of the TCK OBA
3. Mr. Sidath Pananwela and the members of the TCK OBA Colombo Branch
4. Local and Foreign OBA Branches, Batches, and Groups
5. Old Trinitian Rugby Scrummage, Cricket Foundation and other affiliated Sports Bodies.
6. Members of the College Management Team
7. Madam. Deepika Nilanthi – Secretary to the Prize Committee and all the members of the staff, who worked tirelessly in organizing this event.
8. The Staff Guild
9. The Parent-Teacher Association
10. Parents
11. The administration and support staff
12. School Officers’ Guild, Prize Winners and young Trinitians

It is my earnest prayer and dream to see Trinity College at the fore front of innovative education in Sri Lanka and in the world. In that task, our intentions and aspirations are noble and pristine. Trinity College Kandy is a celebration of diversity. It is a community of learning, animated from its origins by the Christian vision of education and the perennial values of our nation. Trinity is dedicated to the pursuit and sharing of excellence, remaining within the traditions set forth by her pioneers and a specific and time-tested set of core values. We are a community in the pursuit of excellence. In this post T150 era, I invoke all Trinitians past and present to rally round our shared vision to make Trinity “the best school of all”

Respice Finem
Fr. Araliya Jayasundara OSB
Principal
Trinity College Kandy
24th February 2023