Mrs Flavia D’souza nee Fernandes passed away on June 29, 2009. due to a cardiac arrest at the age of 55. She was the English teacher for the middle school from 1981 till her untimely demise this year

Ms. Flavia Fernandes was my inspiration for falling in love with English. Till I took her class, to me English was just this “foreign” language in which all our textbooks

Mrs. Flavia D’souza was needed to understand the few spoken words in Stallone movies. My perspective changed due to the mix of passion with which she taught the subject, the way she explained the beauty of a few simple words strung together in a verse, and how she challenged us to write essays on topics not found in conventional books. As my son grows up in the U.S. and I talk to him continuously in Hindi to balance the English of his surrounding, I realize that it is easy to learn a language as a medium of instruction or even expression. The greatness of Ms. Flavia was that her class helped make English the medium of my thoughts and aspirations. Thank you ma’am for your dedication to your subject, you will be greatly missed.

lqbal Dhaliwal Batch of 1989

“Well I’ll always remember the day she made class 8-C give me a standing ovation for getting 8.27/10 in her test and missing out on 8.77/10 because I wrote Yours faithfully instead of Yours sincerely in the informal letter!”

Ishaan Kumar Batch of 2006

“A teacher who always wore a smile, a word of advice and infectious enthusiasm, Mrs D’Souza is irreplaceable. She’d asked for mithai the day i become an engineer, now I just have to find away to get it to her.” 

Shivani Saksena Batch of 2006

I’ll always remember her for the ‘unique’ marking system she adopted, those days of being a part of the so called elite ‘English committee’, her constant pondering over my ‘moody’ writing and the various small incidents which went on to make those English classes memorable. Let’s not mourn her death, let’s celebrate her life!”

Karun Kumar m Batch of 2006

“Flavia ma’m was the liveliest teacher at MIS. One of the most thorough English teachers I’ve ever come across, she’d fill the classroom with merriment and joy in a matter of a few seconds. Here mere presence in the classroom during an examination would sap away the stress in a jiffy. Her untimely demise is a huge loss not only for the school, but perhaps for the language itself.”

Yuvraj Sahni , Batch of 2006

“Flavia ma’am was a sweetheart. I loved attending her English and SUPW classes during my middle school years. She loved what she taught…she was always passionate about her subject. She was not one of those teachers who sound monotonous while teaching, since they’ve been doing it from ages. She was always bubbling with energy and enthusiasm. Strongly opinionated about everything but at the same time lending a listening ear to what others had to say.”

Shreya Howladar, Batch of 2008

“I will always remember Flavia ma’am for the positivity she transmitted, making the classroom atmosphere alive. I used to always look forward to her classes, her short stories & life experiences, sharing laughter with all of us. She always motivated me to follow my heart, to pursue a career which satisfied me as an artist. I will always be thankful to her for all those beautiful moments and lessons that she gifted me. She will always be alive in our hearts!”

Isha Luthra Batch of 2006

“It was in seventh class when I discovered the joy of flowery language; fell in love with a skill called Creative Writing and looked forward to getting marks in points for well thought of titles. It was the year Flavia Ma’am taught us English. By the time school was over I had known her not only as an English teacher but also for two years as the teacher in charge of the Debating Club and in Eleventh, as the General Studies teacher. I still remember the keen look in her eyes when she used to listen to someone share an opinion, recite a speech or a recitation. Many a times did she correct my pronunciation and brought out the best of my written and oratory skills. I have a lot to thank Flavia ma’am for. It is sad that I am doing it here and not in person to her.

I just wanted to say that Flavia Ma’am is a special person in my life. For me, MIS is incomplete without her.”

Malavika Vyawahare Batch of 2006