Grace Sheela with the dog Whitey and her students
Kindergarten students at Madras Christian College Matriculation Higher Secondary School in Chetpet have someone dropping in on them, mid-class, at least once in a day. They look forward to this interruption. This visitor is a rescued myna living on the campus.
Principal and correspondent Grace Sheela, known as a saviour of injured birds and animals, got the myna from her friend Sabeena Varghese on July 4. She ensures the “patient” is under her direct care; so much so that the bird “joins” her when she goes on school rounds.
“It was lifeless and shaken when Sabeena brought it in. It had a fall from the third floor of a building where it had built a nest near the AC unit,” says Grace.
Grace took the bird under her wing, doing everything it takes for the bird to adapt to its new environment.
“The moment she sees me she needs food and I need to keep feeding her,” says the principal sitting in her chamber with the myna next to her.
The myna is also the latest friend of students and staff at MCC School. In the past, injured pigeons, young parakeets and tender hare had been rehabilitated on the campus.
The rescued myna with kindergarten children
“When they are severely injured I take them to the veterinary hospital for treatment, take care of them till they can be on their own,” says the principal who has had stints with Vidyodaya Girls Higher Secondary School in T.Nagar and Union Christian Matriculation Higher Secondary School in Chetpet.
The English teacher’s love for nature began while teaching nature-related topics and it reached a new height during a visit to Parambikulam Tiger Reserve as part of a school project.
“Exnora Naturalist Club started a nature club at Vidyodaya School as part of which I took 76 girls to the Parambikulam forest,” she says.
She associates with groups working on conservation programmes and ensures the children are taught conservation issues in an engaging manner.
She had organised a visit for the students to Supraja Dharini’s Tree Foundation to have a ringside view of rescued turtles.
At MCC School, as part of an initiative by non-profit School Health Annual Report Programme ‘Conserve my planet’ programme is conducted where 100 students take part in a month-long programme where they go about creating awareness about conservation. Under the ‘Green Ambassador Award’ students are nudged to take up green initiatives.
“When a bird is rescued I take it to the classes so children develop love, empathy and connection with these creatures,” she says.
The principal has her home on the campus, which has enabled her to spend considerable time with her rescues.
The story of Whitey, a mongrel with a fluffy tail, is known even to visitors to the campus.
The puppy set paws in the campus during the time of the Board examinations in 2019 along with a constable who was deputed to the school.
“A hostel staff was taking care of it when I joined the school, but once he left I entered the picture and today she is an integral member of my home and school,” she says.
The vaccinated dog roams on the campus as if she owns the place.
She impress everyone but cannot stand another furry animal coming to the campus. “Many a time she has fought with them and they in turn have bitten her. At least four times she got injured this way and once her ear was torn and we had to rush her to the hospital,” says the principal.
Most children make sure they get their turn to play with “ma’am’s dog”.
The principal, who has a busy schedule as she has registered for a PhD programme in environment literature, says how good or bad Earth turns out depends on how well we take care of it. “I tell my children that every single creature matters. When I see a small caterpillar on the floor, I move it to a plant so that vehicles do not crush it,” she says, adding that every small action counts.
Published – July 14, 2025 10:13 am IST
