Latest news with #StJoseph's
NDTV
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- NDTV
Did You Know Astronaut Rakesh Sharma's Son Is A Filmmaker?
New Delhi: Did you know that Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma, the first Indian to fly to space, has a son who chose a very different career path? His son Kapil Sharma is a filmmaker who directed the 2013 movie I, Me Aur Main, starring John Abraham, Chitrangda Singh and Prachi Desai. Kapil Sharma may not have followed in his father's footsteps, but space was very much a part of his childhood. In an interview with in 2011, Kapil recalled what it was like growing up as the son of India's first astronaut. "I was 10 and I remember everything. I knew by the age of four or five what a fighter aircraft was and what they did. I knew what my dad did," he said. He shared how fascinated he was seeing his father return from night flying missions: "For me, at the age of four or five, that was terrific when he came home with helmet and oxygen mask. I would wait for him to go on night flights just to see him in his clothes." Kapil said he was already familiar with sci-fi thanks to Star Wars, so when he learned that his father would be going to space, it felt surreal. He added, "For a kid, it was like going to an amusement park." While Rakesh Sharma was training for his space mission, the family lived in Moscow for a year-and-a-half. "The main launch took place in Kazakhstan. The family stays in Moscow, and when there is an opportunity to speak, mom would be taken to mission control in Moscow and she would speak to dad," Kapil recalled. When they returned to India, Kapil realised the scale of his father's fame. He shared, "In school, I was a star. I didn't always want that attention, but I got it by default." But it was cinema, not aviation or space, that captured Kapil's imagination. From a young age, he was drawn to theatre and backstage work. "In school and college, I was always interested in theatre and plays. I loved watching movies and everything about it, and somewhere in my middle teens, I wanted to know about the process of filmmaking," he said. Kapil studied environmental science at St Joseph's in Bangalore, but eventually pursued a master's in mass communication from Pune University, with a specialisation in video production. He began his career working in television, creating news features and fiction shows. Wanting to break into films, he then went to the US to study at the International Film and Television Workshop in Maine, where he learned skills like cinematography, direction and scriptwriting. Kapil returned to India in 2001 and, in 2013, made his directorial debut with I, Me Aur Main. Interestingly, before becoming a director, Kapil also had a brief stint in acting. He appeared in films such as The Legend of Bhagat Singh, Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Saathiyo and Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro. Kapil's sister, Krittika Sharma, is a media artist. Meanwhile, Rakesh Sharma, now retired, has expressed his desire to be part of India's future space missions. Speaking to NDTV, he said he would like to fly in India's own manned mission Gaganyaan. The Gaganyaan mission, expected to launch in 2025-2026, is a key part of India's human spaceflight programme. Launched from Sriharikota on the Human Rated Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (GSLV Mk III), the Gaganyaan mission will send up to three astronauts into low-Earth orbit for up to three days. As the country waits for its next big leap in space, another Indian Air Force officer is getting ready to make history. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, selected as one of ISRO's four astronauts for the Gaganyaan mission, is set to launch aboard the Axiom Mission 4. He and three other astronauts will travel aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station, scheduled for launch on June 10 at 8:22 am ET from NASA's Kennedy Space Centre. The Axiom 4 crew will orbit the station and carry out science experiments, outreach and commercial tasks, marking yet another milestone in India's growing space legacy, one that started with Rakesh Sharma's historic journey four decades ago.
Irish Independent
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Wicklow audience moved to tears as south Dublin dementia choir perform
The evening included the debut public performance of St Joseph's Community Dementia Choir, which regaled the audience with firm favourites for all to enjoy. The audience all joined in with the songs and the choir were rewarded for their efforts with a standing ovation. There were even reports of tears with the smiles from the audience who were so moved by the music. Speaking at the event, Siobhan Grant, fundraising manager at St Joseph's, said: 'We were thrilled that Frank Kelly and Bella Voce invited us to sing here and to use the event to raise funds for the dementia specific care we provide. "Our choir lead, Joan Dempsey, brought her talent and love of music to so many people at St Joseph's and the choir is open to anyone living with dementia and their loved ones, or any carers in our community, to come along every Tuesday at 2.15pm. Music brings such joy to all our singers, and it is just one of the many community initiatives we are proud to host,' she said. The concert continued throughout the evening with the talented Ballinteer Male Voice Choir, under the baton of Thomas Kehoe, and The Inver Singers, who were all invited by Frank Kelly and Bella Voce to join them in this very special event. St Anne's parish, very graciously and generously supported the concert, making An Evening of Song a true community collaboration. The event was a fabulous platform for all the choirs to showcase their talents and, importantly, raised nearly €4,000 for St Joseph's while doing so. Saint Joseph's Shankill is the largest care home in Ireland solely dedicated to dementia care. Its vision is to lead the way in dementia care in Ireland through innovation, education, and community engagement. To find out more about the other community initiatives available, or to donate, visit:
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Yahoo
Teacher had sex with pupil at teen's family home
A teacher has been banned from the profession after admitting to a six-month sexual relationship with a pupil 25 years ago. Helen Flinders, 55, was working at St Joseph's School in Swindon when she kissed the student at another teacher's house following sports day, leading to regular sexual encounters at the student's house throughout 2000. The incident came to light in 2011 while Ms Flinders was employed at another school, from which she resigned a few months later. Wiltshire Police said no action was taken due to legislation at the time. More news stories for Wiltshire Listen to the latest news for Wiltshire Giving evidence at a professional conduct hearing, Ms Flinders said: "During July 2000, I went for a drink with Pupil A after sports day. "We then went to another teacher's house. I asked Pupil A for a kiss goodbye. He kissed me and it was consensual." She explained a "consensual sexual relationship" then began. The pupil said: "During the summer, my parents worked during the day and were out of the house, so they were not aware that our relationship had progressed to a sexual relationship." The pupil ended the relationship in December 2000. Ms Flinders left St Joseph's in March 2002 and started working as an art teacher at Churchfields school in September 2002. In 2011, the pupil was asked about the rumours of their relationship and confirmed it to someone whose relative worked as head of art at Churchfields School, leading to the police investigation. Ms Flinders resigned and did not return to teaching. A referral was made to the Teaching Regulation Agency in March 2022. The Abuse of Position of Trust legislation, making it an offence for anyone over 18 to have sexual intercourse with a younger person if they are in a position of trust over them, was not enacted until 8 January 2001. This was weeks after the sexual relationship ceased, so no further action was taken by the police. During the hearing, the pupil agreed the relationship was consensual, stating he never felt taken advantage of and did "not hold any bad feelings toward her". In a witness statement, Ms Flinders apologised to the pupil, adding: "I hope the process for him of reliving these events have not harmed him in any way. "I hope he can move forward in a positive light." The panel said she "seriously breached the teacher pupil boundary, abused her position of trust and failed to protect the safety and well-being of Pupil A", banning her from teaching for life. Follow BBC Wiltshire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. TRA hearing outcome
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Yahoo
Teacher had sex with pupil at teen's family home
A teacher has been banned from the profession after admitting to a six-month sexual relationship with a pupil 25 years ago. Helen Flinders, 55, was working at St Joseph's School in Swindon when she kissed the student at another teacher's house following sports day, leading to regular sexual encounters at the student's house throughout 2000. The incident came to light in 2011 while Ms Flinders was employed at another school, from which she resigned a few months later. Wiltshire Police said no action was taken due to legislation at the time. More news stories for Wiltshire Listen to the latest news for Wiltshire Giving evidence at a professional conduct hearing, Ms Flinders said: "During July 2000, I went for a drink with Pupil A after sports day. "We then went to another teacher's house. I asked Pupil A for a kiss goodbye. He kissed me and it was consensual." She explained a "consensual sexual relationship" then began. The pupil said: "During the summer, my parents worked during the day and were out of the house, so they were not aware that our relationship had progressed to a sexual relationship." The pupil ended the relationship in December 2000. Ms Flinders left St Joseph's in March 2002 and started working as an art teacher at Churchfields school in September 2002. In 2011, the pupil was asked about the rumours of their relationship and confirmed it to someone whose relative worked as head of art at Churchfields School, leading to the police investigation. Ms Flinders resigned and did not return to teaching. A referral was made to the Teaching Regulation Agency in March 2022. The Abuse of Position of Trust legislation, making it an offence for anyone over 18 to have sexual intercourse with a younger person if they are in a position of trust over them, was not enacted until 8 January 2001. This was weeks after the sexual relationship ceased, so no further action was taken by the police. During the hearing, the pupil agreed the relationship was consensual, stating he never felt taken advantage of and did "not hold any bad feelings toward her". In a witness statement, Ms Flinders apologised to the pupil, adding: "I hope the process for him of reliving these events have not harmed him in any way. "I hope he can move forward in a positive light." The panel said she "seriously breached the teacher pupil boundary, abused her position of trust and failed to protect the safety and well-being of Pupil A", banning her from teaching for life. Follow BBC Wiltshire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. TRA hearing outcome
The National
19-05-2025
- General
- The National
Primary school in Helensburgh set to reopen after RAAC discovered
Lessons at John Logie Baird Primary School have been conducted in temporary buildings on the school's football pitch during the 2024/25 session while work has taken place. Reinforced auto-enclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) was discovered in parts of the school in September 2023. John Logie Baird Primary was the only school in Argyll and Bute to contain the substance. It was initially estimated that the remediation work would cost £3 million, while a freedom of information request in July 2024 found that the cost of the temporary classrooms was £580,000. READ MORE: Brian Cox and Laura Main back fundraiser to save 'lifeline' Scottish arts centre The programme remains on course for pupils to return to the main building after the summer holiday – but early learning centre pupils will continue to learn at other venues. A council spokesperson said: 'We're pleased that building works to remove and replace the roof are on track with children scheduled to return to the school building after the summer holidays. 'To minimise disruption for our younger children, they will continue to attend St Joseph's and Colgrain Early Learning Centres until after the October holidays. We have contacted parents and carers to let them know. 'We would like to thank everyone for their patience and support this year and look forward to the children returning.' In a statement in September 2023 following the discovery of RAAC, the council said: 'Given the recent announcements and guidance changes, we continue to work with our structural engineering consultants to ensure mitigating actions are appropriate. The intention is to repair or remove the RAAC within 12 months.' The same month, 16 Scottish local authorities confirmed the presence of RAAC in at least one of their schools. Education secretary Jenny Gilruth said after the number was revealed: 'It is important that there is transparency around the schools where RAAC has been identified and mitigations in place. Local authorities were asked to publish the data relating to impacted schools in their area given the seriousness of this issue and to ensure this data is freely available. 'I hope this provides reassurance to parents, carers, staff and pupils who may be concerned about the presence of RAAC in their learning facilities. I also expect the local authorities still to publish to do so as a matter of urgency.'
