Letter to Parents Classes 1 to 9 and 11

Dear Parents (students Classes 1 to 9 and 11),

I am sure that you, more than me, are relieved that the more than a month long closure of educational institutions has now come to an end and that your child’s education can continue. This letter will show you how we have worked it out that your child’s education will not have suffered.  

I wish to thank you for your patience while we waited anxiously for school to reopen. Your son’s educational well being was always on my mind.  All the teachers tried their best to help your children through their blogs. While it was challenging both to write and use the blogs, this month’s experience has surely made all of us more computer literate! I am also grateful to the teachers who continued the education of the class 10 students during most of this period.

While we cannot deny that there might be agitations in the future, we are confident that with the improved Teachers blogs and your son’s better capability in using them, we can continue the education of your children. We have taken steps to look after the boarders in school with the help of the staff both residential and others.

I wish to state that we will be ensuring that every minute of lost time at class shall be made up before the end of the academic year – yes, every minute! I explain how, below:

Classes 1 to 9 and 11 have lost a total of 30 class days (counting two Saturdays as I full class day, and not counting the 15^th, 29^th and 30^th Aug which, according to the school calendar, would not have been class days. We were able to have the Fitzpatrick Tournament on the 29^th & 30^th July as most of the teams were resident). That means we have missed 9900 minutes of class time. We shall be making up the time in the following ways:

·         Increasing class time (Monday to Friday) by 40mins. We shall be getting 46 such days (according to the regular school calendar (Sept : 12, Oct : 15, Nov : 19).  Thus we will be making up 46 x 40 = 1840 minutes.

·         Saturdays will be full class days. We shall thus be adding 200 minutes of class time, each day, to the 9 Saturdays left (according the regular school calendar - Sept : 3, Oct : 2, Nov : 4). Thus we shall be making up 9 x 200 = 1800 minutes.

·         We need to also increase the class days by

o   Restricting the Puja holidays from the 10^th to the 16^th October. Boarders will leave, as scheduled, on the 9^th afternoon. Classes will resume on the 17^th October. Boarders will return on the 16^th October evening. We will gain 3 days here or 1110 minutes.

o   Sunday, 3^rd Nov is Diwali and not 2^nd and 4^th Nov will be a class day, not part of a Diwali / Bhai Tika holiday : 740 mins

o   Continuing school till the 14^th December. We shall gain 12 additional class days or 4440 minutes.

·         We shall thus be getting through the above means 9930 minutes. We will have an extra 30 minutes.

·         Please note that in order to focus on your child’s studies we have only earmarked two days for co-curricular events. Though these days are working days we have not counted them so ! Preparation for those events shall be done during the co-curricular activities periods and after school. :

o   Sports Day on the 9^th October. The schedule of day will be as follows :

§  9.00 – 10.00am : Parent-Teacher Meeting & 2^nd Card Test Results

§  11.00am – 1.00pm : Sports (Mainly athletics, though Classes 1 & 2 will have drills too).

o   Children & Teachers Day on the 14^th November. The schedule will be as follows :

§  9.00am : Teachers Felicitation, Annual Prize Distribution

§  11.00am : Class 10 Reminisce Programme

·         Please note the following School calendar for remaining part of the year :

o        10^th Sept : Boarders return to school

o       11^th & 12^th Sept : Revision days for Boarders

o       13^th Sept : Classes Resume (school time 8.45am to 3.50pm : Monday to Saturday)

o       26^th Sept to 5^th Oct : ICSE 2014 Selection Examinations commence

o       2^nd Oct : Gandhi Jayanti : Class Day

o       3^rd to 5^th Oct : 2^nd Card Test (Classes 1 to 9 and 11) commence

o       9^th Oct : PTM / 2^nd Card Test / Selection Exam Results & Sports Day. Boarders go home for Puja holidays after Sports.

o       16^th Oct : 5pm : Boarders return from Puja holidays

o       17^th Oct : Classes commence after Puja Break

o       3^rd Nov : Diwali

o       4^th Nov : Class Day

o       5^th Nov : Bhai Tika : Holiday

o       14^th Nov : Children & Teachers day; Annual Prize Distribution; Class 10 Reminisce Programme

o       9^th Dec : Final Examinations (1 to 9 & 11) Commence

o       14^th Dec : Final Examinations End : Boarders leave for home 4pm

o       19^th Dec : 10.00am : Final Examination Results

o       20^th Dec : Christmas holidays commence