Sacred Heart Convent School (Jamshedpur)

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Sacred Heart Convent School

Love Conquers All
Established	January 14, 1945
School type	Private
Principal	Teresita Mary
Location	Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, India
Students	approx. 2300
Website	www.sacredheartjsr.org

Sacred Heart Convent School is an English-medium Catholic Education private school for girls run by Apostolic Carmelite nuns in the city of Jamshedpur. The school focuses on general all around development of its students, including moral, physical, social, scientific, and humanitarian education. It is registered under the Indian Societies Registration Act of 1860 under the title The Apostolic Carmel Educational Society.

The school has grades from kindergarten to 12^th (Plus Two). There are two kindergarten levels, both aimed at preparing the girls for school, the first being similar to a playschool rather than emphasizing intellectual achievement.

1 History
2 Educational objectives, mission and vision
3 Academics
4 Extracurricular Activities
5 Annual Events
6 Principals
7 Alumnus
8 External links

[edit] History

Sacred Heart Convent School was founded on January 14, 1945. The school building was completed in 1951 and is still in use today, although renovated for a modern school atmosphere. The objective of the school was to provide a moral as well as physical and intellectual education to girls of all castes and creeds. Although the school is run by the Sisters of the Apostolic Carmel, it is open to young ladies of all faiths. The school is affiliated with the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations in New Delhi and also offers the Plus Two (12^th grade) Course in Arts, Science and Commerce.

The school was founded when the world was facing World War II. Jamshedpur was considered a war zone. On the January 14, 1945, Reverend Mother Josephine, then the Superior General and Mother Theodosia, Principal of Patna Women’s College met Mr. J. R. D. Tata (Chairman Tata Iron and Steel Company), Sir Ardeshir Dalal (Special Director) and Sir J.J. Ghandy (Resident Director). When the Tata Company Management requested the Bishop to open Sacred Heart Convent School in Jamshedpur, prominent Catholics of Jamshedpur Mr. John D’Costa, Mr. Jerry Rebello and others supported the idea of inviting the Apostolic Carmel Sisters. Archbishop Ferdenand Perier S. J. of Calcutta gave his consent and blessed the enterprise.

The first batch of Sisters arrived on January 14, 1945 with Mother Cleopha, the Leader of the Mission. They were accommodated at 5 Beldih Triangle. The C. N. R. Hall was lent during the day for the school, which opened on January 22, 1945 with 70 pupils on roll. In November 1945 all the classes except the K.G. (Kindergarten) shifted to Dhatkidih High School running in the second shift from 10.30 A.M. In August 1946 the School shifted to Dalma Villa. Mother Joan, the New Superior arrived in May 1948. Under her supervision of Mr. Domingo and Mr. Agha work started on a new building for the school on land allotted by Tata.

[edit] Educational objectives, mission and vision

The educational objectives of the school are twofold in nature. The school emphasizes both academic excellence as well as moral development. The school philosophy is based upon the example set by Jesus Christ, and the teachings and the teachings of Mother Mary Veronica. In the Carmelite as well as the Gandhian position, they maintain the vision of education as the means to transform society. The idea is that one cannot make headway in a modern society without the proper intellectual tools, yet the application of the intellect should be done with a moral vision that seeks to uplift rather than to corrupt. To this end, students are led to follow the core values:

Respect all religions and all people, regardless of caste or creed, and act in accordance with their own convictions.
Learn to be self-reliant and commit themselves to the service of the economically, psychologically and spiritually deprived sections of our society, especially women.
Actively involving parents in the education, both morally and academically.
Be loyal to their country, and more importantly, the entire world.
To see that children grow into spiritually oriented, academically excellent, emotionally balanced, morally upright and socially concerned individuals who can male their way in a competitive global economy and maintain their values.

[edit] Academics

A wide variety of courses is offered at Sacred Heart Convent School as well as playgrounds for sports, a library and a dining hall. All subjects are intended as a preparatory curriculum for college bound study. Students are ordinarily admitted only at the beginning of the school year, which commences in mid March. In order to preserve academic standards, the following guidelines for admission are adhered to:

For admission to any class they must pass an Entrance Test. The right age for the class will be strictly adhered to. No admission is complete beyond the kindergarten until the Transfer Certificate from the previous school is produced.
The Principal reserves the right to refuse any application without reason.
A month's notice or a month's fee is required prior to the withdrawal of a student.
If a student is withdrawn for any length of time and parents wish to be re-admitted, an entrance test will be held and the registration fee will be charged again.
A written application must be made by the Parent or Guardian for the Transfer Certificate of a student.
A student failing twice in the same class will have to discontinue her studies at school.

Sacred Heart Convent School provides a curriculum that allows students a well-rounded scientific and liberal arts education that will prepare them to enter the university of their choice upon graduation.

[edit] Physical, Life and Computer Science

Computer science is taught as a compulsory subject until grade nine, where students can choose to continue with it or to choose a different stream of subjects. The school is equipped with a modern lab for computer literacy and programming courses. The computer and basic science courses offered at the school include:

GW-BASIC is used as an introduction to programming.
Java (using the BlueJ IDE) is used to introduce the concepts of object-oriented programming to the students.
Logo is used to introduce the students to functional programming.
C++ is used as an optional course for the Plus Two students wishing to study computer science in college.
Chemistry -- The basic chemistry need for college entrance exams is emphasized.
Physics -- Basic statics is emphasized, with a minimum of mathematical formalism.
Biology -- Basic modern biology concepts are taught to prepare the students for their college exams.

All of the above are compulsory subjects classes which students have to take and labs where those subjects are taught on a hands-on basis.

[edit] Arts and sciences

The arts and sciences offering at the school are:

Mathematics, covering geometry, algebra and the calculus.
English, covering both literature and grammar.
Hindi, covering both literature and grammar.
Sanskrit, to provide the basics of a classical Indian education.
Geography, to provide a cultural and physical perspective on how our earth works.
Environmental Science, to foster conservation and sound environmental decision making.
Home Economics, to teach girls how to manage a home.
Political Science, to aid in understanding Indian and International politics.
Commerce, for an understanding of business and the corporate world.
Economics, for an understanding of how monetary systems work.
History, to give the students a sense of their heritage.

As students move from 9^th grade to 12^th grade, they are allowed more freedom in choosing their own classes; they typically opt for a science or commerce related curriculum to facilitate their entrance into college and their success there.

[edit] National Institute of Open Schooling

Many students struggle with the I.C.S.E. exams, so Sister Flavian (then principal) introduced the National Institute of Open Schooling (N.I.O.S.) stream. This is a special program that allows weaker students to prepare for their examination and thus increases their chances of success. Boys and girls of Jamshedpur and other districts have registered for the Examination through this school.

[edit] Quizzing and Contests

There are many contests that the students at Sacred Heart Convent School may take part in. many of these are nationwide or international quiz-type competitions. Among the competitions offered at the school are:

QUANTA is an quizbowl contest for Science, Mathematics, Astronomy and Computer Science, open to those gifted in those particular areas.
The Fountainhead Essay Contest is an essay competition open to all of those who wish to compete for India's Liberty Institute-sponsored Ayn Rand essay.
The Cadbury Bournvita Quiz Contest is a televised quiz show that is open to the most talented students at the school.
Essay and short story competitions for the Telegraph, the local newspaper, are offered throughout the year and are open to anyone.

[edit] Extracurricular Activities

[edit] Student Quality Circle

A Quality Circle is a group of students who voluntarily meet for one hour per week to identify, analyze and resolve student-related problems to improve the quality, productivity and total performance of the school and to enrich the quality of student life.

The objectives of Quality Circle are

To improve one’s own quality of work
To give students an opportunity to identify and solve problems.
To create problem solving capabilities.
To develop a greater safety awareness.
To share each others views.

The Quality Circle is an effective means to solve many problems. The month November is celebrated as the World Quality month in Tata Steel and November 12 is the World Quality Day.

[edit] School Band

The school band was formed in the late 1960s when Sister Veronique was the Principal of the school. Mr. Paul (an ex-army officer) was the first instructor. He taught the students and helped the band to grow over the years. The band uniform is made of white straight skirts and white shirts with red rims.

In 1989, the band got its first exposure to play for functions other than those held in the school which brought recognition to the band in the town. The current band leader, Perveen Rana, has been in charge of the band for over twenty-five years.

[edit] Athletics

Girls Playing Football

Track sports include 100 m, 200 m, 400 m, 800 m, 4X100 m Relay and 100 m hurdles and the field events are discus throw, javelin throw, and shot put. Most of the students take part in track and field and it is one of the most popular sports at the school.

The basketball teams have represented the city and the state at the District and National Level Tournaments.

Football is practiced for an hour each morning with the coach supervising all their moves.

Handball is practiced at the Handball Court of JRD Tata Sports Complex adjacent to its premises for those who wish to participate.

The Kho Kho team of the school is one of the pioneer teams in the town.

Volleyball is one of the key athletic programs at the school. Regular practices are held in the morning, for one hour, in anticipation of the Annual Volleyball Tournament.

Karate in the Matsubayashi Shorin-ryu style is offered as one of the popular athletic programs by qualified senseis to promote skills in self-defence as well as to increase the self-esteem and physical fitness of the girls at the school.

[edit] Clubs

Jyoti Club — JYOTI stands for Jamshedpur Youth Organization for Tomorrow’s India. Membership in this club is open to students from the 9^th to the 12^th of every school in the city. The purpose of the Jyoti Unit, in keeping with Carmelite philosophy, is social service.

Interact Club — Interact means "International Action" and was devised to promote Social Service. Efforts are made by its members in creating socio-ecological awareness of their surroundings, which include: annual paper drives, planting trees, organizing with the School of Hope (an organization that caters to mentally and physically challenged children), and participating in a two day camp.

Eco-Commerce Club — The Eco-Commerce club's objectives are: To teach students how to plan, organize and manage events and finances, to provide students with first hand knowledge from experts in various fields related to Economics and Commerce, to make the students aware of the various career options available within the country and abroad as related to Commerce and to make the students aware of the corporate world.

Safe Club — The Safe Club was created in order to inculcate safety rules in the students. The members of the Safe Club of the school organize regular helmet and license checking for the Plus Two students who use two wheelers. The club also organizes chart and collage competitions for the students of the Primary and Safety Awareness talks for the students of the high school. The members of the Safe Club have taken active part in various inter-school competitions and have also attended various interactive sessions with the D.C., S.P, Government and other administrative authorities from Tata.

Environment Club — The Environment Club tries to instill in the students a feeling for environmental awareness and conservation. The club's motto is: "Say No To Plastic." The members of this club are provided opportunities to study the environment and understand the need to conserve nature.

Math and Science Club — The Science Club comprises members from the 9th to the 12th. Admissions to the club are done on the basis of talent and aptitude. The science club members have an active participation in the annual science fest SPECTRA.

Dukes — The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award for young people India or more popularly known as a Dukes Club aims at the overall personality development of students throughout door activities and sports. The benchmark of the club is the various camps that the students attend under the guidance of trained instructor of the award scheme.

Guides — Guiding is open to students after being a recruit for 3-4 months and only after passing her tests. Upon becoming a guide she has to go through 5 stages in order to complete her Rashtrapati Guide Award and achieves the certificate from the President of India. In this activity they learn about knots of various uses, first aid, woodworking signs with the help of which they can partake in hiking, cooking, and map reading. They also attend camps, meet girls from other schools, go hiking and trekking, participate in rallies, inter school competitions, rafting, parasailing, Jamborees etc. They also take part in the Republic Day and Independence Day march past, they help during the schools Annual Prize Night, Parents Day and Annual Sports Day.

Elocution with Principal Teresita Mary

[edit] Annual Events

Installation of Cabinets: Annually, a cabinet consisting of responsible members of the student body are appointed to act as a liaison between the students and the staff to maintain the disciple in the school campus.

Prize Nights: Annual prizes are awarded to students whose hard work or outstanding qualities have commanded attention.

Parents Day: The annual Parents Day celebrations is marked by a cultural program put on by the students.

Elocution: The annual school Elocution gives the student the opportunity to exhibit her oratorial skills.

Annual Mela: The Mela is an annual project of the Eco-Commerce Club, held on Children’s Day. There are various food stalls as well as game stalls and a Request Corner for the recreation of students. The school mela collects funds which are donated to the various charitable institutions.

Sports Day: Sports competitions and various drills performed by the students provide a serious day of competition where the students get to show off their hard work by competing for prizes.

Farewells: The farewell ceremony celebrates the departure of our seniors to the world of work and adulthood and allows them a chance to say goodbye to their alma mater.

Annual Celebrations: Annual religious and secular festivals allow each student to appreciate the beliefs faiths thoughts and ideals of every individual. This allows for everyone to becomes aware of the customs and traditions of other faiths while learning to respect every religion.

[edit] Principals

Sister Cleopatra, (1945 - 1948)
Sister Mary Joan, (1948 - 1952)
Sister Cleopatra, (1952 - 1955)
Sister Mary Denise, (1955 - 1958)
Sister Mary Digna, (1958 - 1961)
Sister Vera, (1961 - 1966)
Sister Veronique, (1966 - 1972)
Sister Yvette, (1972 - 1973)
Sister Marie Anne, (1973 - 1974)
Sister Marie Eugene, (1974 - 1978)
Sister Veronique, (1978 - 1981)
Sister Noretta, (1981 - 1986)
Sister Flavian, (1986 - 1998)
Sister Teresita Mary, (1998 - present)

[edit] Alumnus

The Association of Sacred Heart Alumni (ASHA) was founded in 1995 by Sister Flavian. Among the activities and services provided to the community and school by ASHA are:

Counseling to help students to receive guidance on careers and personal problems.
Ex-students are invited for career counseling and to share their own experiences.
Conducting the blood drives in the school in aid of Cancer Patients.
Raising funds for the Cancer Hospital and the old age home.
Conducting spoken English classes are given for non-native speakers.
Operating a book store on the school premises.
Volunteering at the Samaria Ashram (Leper Colony).