Introduction
The prospectus is an introductory document for a school and its students and parents. It often acts as a sort of memorandum of association since it seeks to share the norms and customs of the institution in expectation that those who aspire to enroll, would learn and share in the ethical details and the ethos of the school as laid out by its Founders or Management Committees or Governing Body. At Mother Teresa Global Convent School, the prospectus is given to every parent at the time of registration of their children to be admitted to the school. On being offered a seat and subsequently at Parent-Teacher meetings, reference may be made to the Prospectus and so it ought to be carried by the family as part of the meeting’s papers.
Vision
Mission Statement
Code of conduct for integrity & decency and good manners
Good manners, along with integrity and decency are an essential part of life which is built on the foundation of mutual respect. Students are expected to greet all elders, whether teachers or visitors, by wishing the time of day. Elders are expected to return the greetings. In the instance of visitors, students and staff who are at hand, must greet and ask if they can help the guest, usually to show the way to the offices or to specific persons. Visitors to the offices and in the waiting areas should be offered a glass of water, irrespective of the purpose of their visit. Younger people must stand when elders enter the classroom or any such place. School, classroom and learning areas including sports locations and the world outside school demand decorum. This constitutes –
(a) Answering questions only when asked and not shouting or answering altogether
(b) Listening to a teacher/ elder’s instructions and carrying out the same in good form
(c) Punctuality, no uninformed absence or neglect of formal consent, no bullying, ragging and finding unacceptable excuses
(d) Respect for books and stationery, the library and other facilities of the School
(e) Protecting the School from defacement of walls and furniture and/ or personal properties of others.
(f) Refusing to lie or indulge in deceit and deliberate disruption of the atmosphere and environment of the School
(g) Students, staff and parents, are also expected to behave with decorum in public, even while away from the School, thus for all to be good ambassadors of the School. Such decency brings good name to the institution and to individual families and inspire others to emulate. This improves society visibly and tangibly, an essential service of education, best inculcated from childhood.
(h) Courtesy is to be especially extended to visiting teams and their escorts during inter-school events, whether on the games field or courts or on stage and elsewhere. Teams are to be welcomed and assigned escorts who will attend to their comfort and well-being. Visiting teams must be applauded to and off the venue of the event. Good play and effort of the visitors must be heartily applauded. In the event of the home team winning a trophy it must be awarded to the runners-up to take away and return in the year following. Unstinting hospitality and respect is remembered for life. Participation should be fulsome but courteous to all. Always and everytime.
(i) Respect of family members and not indulging in bad company and harmful habits
(j) Teachers and parents are also expected to treat their own and other children as well as all school staff with due regard and respect. Attending School events according to the school calendar, information sent out from time to time by SMS, WhatsApp or any other approved means of school communication is a parental and faculty obligation for the self-respect of the students.
(k) Parents may not be held to account for scholastic work and standards of the students, for which the school and staff are responsible, but they must understand that the good upbringing of children is the direct responsibility of the home, duly supported by the school. Similarly, academic support asked for by teachers, such as completion of homework, preparation for the next school day, clean uniform, eating habits, personal hygiene and other such important aspects of deportment and well-being are to be welcomed in feedback and dealt with so that children are enriched and feel cared for at all times. This means the unequivocal support of the child by both parents and teachers at all times.
Appeal
(a) In all matters of the School, the Principal’s word is final, by dint of the authority vested in her or him by the Governing Body.
(b) Appeal, if and when relevant, may be made in writing to the Principal.
(c) Specially serious appeals may be addressed to the Governing Body, through the Principal. He / she is obliged to forward all such appeals without editing.
(d) Enquiry, findings and action taken will be communicated as expeditiously as possible.
(e) Legal intercession, if and when applicable, will also be communicated/ conducted with transparent accountability.|
(f) In keeping with present day judicial advice, arbitration and mediation opportunities must be exercised first.
(g) All efforts failing, matters can be placed for awards of justice as per the rules and regulations and jurisdiction of the High Court of Himachal Pradesh.
Operational structure of the School
Children are allotted to classes according to age and potential. Assessment is carried out at the time of admission for fresh cases and at the end of each acdemic year for those already in attendance. However, children with need of special attention are monitored more closely along with parents’ collaboration and help so that every milestone toward improvement can be encouraged.
The School’s policy by minutes and resolution is to limit the number of students per section per class. This is so that desk to desk supervision and help can be rendered by teachers. And to ensure regular written work and effective correction/ grading.
The School is in applicant status to the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examination (CISCE) for the ICSE-ISC board examinations of class X.
The Code of conduct applies to all of us who are a part of the school – the children and students; the parents; the staff; the Governing Body and society at large which may seek inspiration from the integrity and leadership that the School grows to represent.
The ‘Code’ so to speak, is based on the fundamental idea of “HUMANENESS”. It involves, at its very outset, the conviction that other people matter. That everyone has a rightful place and space in the larger community of life on the planet. That all life is therefore to be respected and that nothing is more important to do than to nurture that which allows life to flourish.
It respects intelligence, competition and drive but not to the detriment or at the cost of others. It respects nature and individual property. It does not disreard the rights of others. It celebrates these values by having the courage and strength “to stand for the hard right against the easy wrong” and appreciates effort. As it does winning and losing with equal grace and the ability to try again.
House – meaning…inter-house/ inter-school cooking baking gardening woodcraft creative writing ncc, wall climbing hiking treks and camps obstacle course white water School routine, the Whole School Curriculum and expectations.
To these ends, the school begins its day with a prayer based assembly. The invocation is in English, Hindi and Sanskrit and addresses the Almighty. It asks for protection, blessings and grace upon us, our homes and upon the School and the nation.
Children arrive – 8.30 am
Class Teacher’s inspection – 8.30 am
Assembly – 8.40 am (different languages – English 3 days/ Hindi 2 days)
1 st bell for lessons – 8.55 am
1 st lesson begins : 09.00 am – 09.35
2 nd 09.35 -10.10
3 rd 10.10 – 10.45;
10.45 – 10.55 Fruit Break/ Short Break
4 th 11.00 – 11.35 am
5 th 11.35 – 12.10pm
6 th 12.10 -12.45pm
7 th 12.45 lunch
Supervised Prep. 1.10 pm – 1.50 pm.
Games line up, parade & to games and activity stations 2.00pm – 2.50pm
Supervised dispersal for buses and departure 2.55pm
Staff leave at 3.30pm
Saturdays – (Bag free Day)
No assembly
Children arrive 08.30am
Class tests
09.00 – 09.35 – written
09.40 – 10.15 – oral (quizzing/ reading/ recitation/ debates/ Singing)
10.20 – 10.55 – written
11.00 – refreshment break
11.15 – 12.45 pm games matches/ activities show case – rehearsals / practice/ decoration
preparation etc etc.
Staff & students leave – 12.50pm
NB : While the timings themselves are to be adhered to the contents of the day are to be flexible with the approval of the authorities and/ or as deputed. from time to time.
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The school year should be broken up into three terms totaling 9 – 9.5 months.
The first two terms each would end with a ‘short report, followed by a long report at the end of the year.
Concept of curriculum, format, contents and crafting, structure and obligatories as well as marketing suggestions to be advised in due course.
Academic classes
Definitions and concepts – scholastics, activities, marks and credits, marks and grades, weightage.
School processes and templates.
Outward bound, outreach, service and memberships, associations etc – applications/ IB Dip./ Cambridge early years.
TAFE related
The Whole School Curriculum
1. The staff have, I think, understood that while their advice of a balanced school programme (Whole School Curriculum) is well taken, for everything we have to allot time.
2. It has also been stated and must be made absolutely clear that school timings for inclusive programmes is inevitable.
3. An activity and academic based school means an eight hour school day on the whole but internally structured. This means that –
(i) the Preparatory School timings should continue to be between 0900 and 1230, ie, three and a half hours.
(ii) while for the rest we would progress from five to eight hours.
(iii) here is an eight hour day outline (modified for the ‘Big’ School after yesterday’s brief discussion) –
Ref the Preparatory School (Euro Kids for now)
Since there is yet another year to be spent on the Euro Kids campus for some children and staff and there are admission related visits that are already taking place there is an urgent need to make the little campus look as clean and beautiful as possible, befitting the little children; so that all who come may feel suitably cheerful about the happy and obviously fun environment as well as how
affectionately the children are being brought up.
Being a small place, there is actually no need for a p.a. system or over amplification. Children should be taught to sing rather than get carried away with yelling in enthusiasm. We need also to introduce more variety in what songs and dances they are being trained for both in English as well as Hindi.
Hence for more more external inputs until all staff are deemed individually expert.
– That together we form the commissioning team for this fledgling school
– That there is no alternative but to support one another in order to ensure that the school grows in the desired manner so that it becomes a name to trust in the world of schools, within Himachal and beyond.
– The feedback invariably suggests that the school needs to have an effective balance between acdemics and extra and co-curricular activities; that ‘marketing’ of the school is necessary and that there must be regular and effective interaction between us and the parents. And that communication skills are of the essence.
To address these obejectives the steps outlined below may please be considered, especially since we are
due for a parents – teacher celebration on 24 th November 24, when we must make clear objectives and
changes for the academic year 2025 – 26 and beyond.
Communication skills & pedagogy
1. Strengthening the team – parents and prospective parents (whether from rural agricultural homes or other) must feel a sense of confidence in their interaction. Two things build for that :
(a) trust, how and what we communicate and secondly
(b) how we are seen for what we say.
2. Apart from Hindi and local dialects we must use English effectively and correctly, since we are an English medium school and since we aspire to be a global institution.
3. Therefore we have proposed that we carry out a crash course in English communication to enhance speaking and vocabulary and applicable grammatical skills. To start with. This may be succeeded by other subject intercessions as the need may be.
4. The time allotment and duration of the enhancement programme can be twice a week for forty minutes each after school hours. Each session would (roughly) include 20 minutes for reading, 5 minutes for paraphrasing, off-topic and topical give and take and 15 minutes for written reinforcement. A slim abridged book of appropriate interest and content is usually less than 200 pages and 10 pages of reading a session is do-able. So we may hope to complete one ‘crash course’ in 20 periods or over 10 weeks.
5. The enhancement programme will of course include spoken interaction and role playing etc and will continue beyond the 10 weeks but will probably vary in length as achievement gets better and stronger, until we deem that it is no longer needed.
6. In order to correct pronounciations, style of singing, the songs themselves, especally at the Preparatory level, we may consider visiting exponents of music and correct spoken delivery and content from time to time.
7. The person(s) can be accommodated one at a time in the guest room presently being used by the furniture team. A per day remuneration can be considered along with travel money and meals. Persons of substance could be offered an honararium/ fee of rupees two or two and a half thousand rupees per day.
Pedagogy & implications
1. All staff are governed by the instructions of the Principal. They shall carry these out to the best of their ability.
2. Staff may appeal, with decency and courtesy, any matter or instruction the implications of which are unclear. On discussion and resolution they must then conform in good faith.
3. Each member of the staff, irrespective of category or level, is an ambassador of the School and must behave in such a manner as to protect oneself and one’s home and place of employment from ill-repute.
4. Staff are expected to protect their own individual character as trustworthy citizens of good capacity and accountability at all times and everywhere.
All staff are responsible for the good upbringing of students. This pertains to honesty, integrity, mutual regard, respect for one another, elders at home, in school and the world outside. They must correct bad behaviour, unruliness and bullying at their own level before bringing it to the notice of the relevant authority.
Administration
1. Authority:
(a) In all matters of the School, the Principal’s word is final, by dint of the authority vested in her or him by the Governing Body.
(b) Appeal, if and when relevant, may be made in writing to the Principal.
(c) Specially serious appeals may be addressed to the Governing Body, through the Principal. He / she is obliged to forward all such appeals without editing.
(d) Enquiry, findings and action taken will be communicated as expeditiously as possible.
(e) Legal intercession, if and when applicable, will also be communicated/ conducted with transparent accountability.
(f) In keeping with present day judicial advice, arbitration and mediation opportunities must be exercised first.
(g) All efforts failing, matters can be placed for awards of justice as per the rules and regulations and jurisdiction of the High Court of Himachal Pradesh.