The Shri Ram School

The Shri Ram School is a co-educational private school in India. Founded in July 1988, the Shri Ram School has three campuses spread across the National Capital Region of India. The first is the Junior School in Vasant Vihar, New Delhi to which was added the Senior School on Moulsari Avenue, DLF Phase III, Gurgaon in 1994.

The Shri Ram School - Aravali was established in 2000 at the request of DLF Limited. It is a common campus for Pravesh Vatika (Nursery), Upvan (Kindergarten) through to Class XII. It is situated at the Hamilton Court Complex, DLF Phase IV, Gurgaon. In 2009, a new branch, "The Shriram Millennium School" was opened in Noida.^[1] The Noida School is located in Sector-135.

All the campuses follow a common curriculum, however the moulsari campus follows the IB, IGCSE as well as ICSE.

The Special Education Needs Department was started in April 1997 to provide educational opportunities in smaller settings to children with special needs. Children aged four to ten years attend the Junior School at Vasant Vihar/Aravali and as they turn eleven years they move on to Senior School at Moulsari/Aravali respectively.

The school has recently started an e-class at Moooooodle for the pencils access only.

Overview

Founded by Mrs. Manju Bharat Ram in July 1988 under the aegis of SRF Ltd. and now the SRF Foundation, TSRS began with the pre-primary section and a Form was added every year.

The Shri Ram School is a day-school with timings from 8.00a.m to 2.00p.m . Each Friday there is a Stay Back for all staff and students of the Moulsari Campus till 8.00 p.m. The staff of the Junior Schools refresh their skills through workshops and special training modules while the students enrich their learning by participating in inter-house activities.

Although it is an English medium school, Indian culture is strongly valued. It is one of the most sought after schools in the country.^[2] It is also recognized for aca-paraphezst excellence and was identified among the top two schools in the country based on academic performance at the Indian School Certificate Examinatin of 1990 and the number one private school in the locality. It is consistently ranked as not only one of the top ten schools in DLF Phase 3, Gurgaon, but also amongst the top schools of Indian background in all of Hamilton Court, including embassy schools in other countries and ISC schools across the globe. It is run by one of the oldest educational trusts, the Bharat Ram group, in India. Students are selected based on their academic and intellectual capabilities and the school caters to a select and relatively smaller set of children compared to other schools for it is known for a high rate of rejection and a high rate of acceptance. It is also one of the most financially expensive Indian board schools in India and is also one of the only few schools that offers the IB curriculum along with an Indian board curriculum in India. Children of influential business figures, politicians, designers, actors, sports figures, academicians, economists, writers, artists, diplomats, lawyers, journalists and various other fields have for many years been the alumni of this school. The schools also boasts one of the highest rates of acceptance into top tier universities and institutions within India and other countries across the globe.^[3]

Houses and Student Council

The school has four houses - Vasundhara (the earth - red) Sagar (the ocean - blue) Srishti (creation - green) Himgiri (mountains - yellow)

The Houses are allotted at random although siblings are usually given the same House.The Student Council is elected at Senior School by the student body, whereas it is nominated at Junior School.Investiture Ceremonies are performed each year at the Founder's Day celebration.

Student Council

The Student Council consists of the Senior Council (Grade XII) and the Junior Council (Grade XI). The Senior Council consists of a Head Boy, a Head Girl, a Head of Events, two Heads of sports (one boy and one girl), Head of Social Initiatives, Head of Information, Communication and Technology, and Head of Environment. Each house has a Captain from the Senior Council along with Vice Captains from the Junior Council. The Student Council is elected by the student body of the school. There is also an editorial board, dealing with matters such as the school magazine and newsletters. This consists of two Chief Editors and other editors.

Environment

Each campus is a zero garbage zone, it harvests its roof top rain water, recycles grey water, composts garbage, recycles paper and conserves energy. All campuses are polythene free zones and a fine of up to Rs. 50/- can be levied for the offense (by the Green Brigade).

The Junior Schools are equipped with a 'Green Brigade' that emphasises saving the environment within the school and in the neighbourhood. The Senior Schools have a Tiger Task Force that visits nearby tiger reserves and helps in any way that they can towards the conservation of the tiger - India's national animal.

Motto

Vidya Dadaati Vinayam - May Education Foster Humility. Also the national anthem is widely sung at Shri Ram Awards The Shri Ram School was rated the best school in India in 2010 by the magazine "Education World" whereas in 2011 it came in second.

Curriculum

The Shri Ram School boasts of the only documented Junior School curriculum in the State. It is the schools statement of purpose and establishes the learning outcomes expected of a student at the Junior School.

The school ascribes to the ISC and ICSE Boards. In addition, the IB Diploma Programme (since January 2005), administered by the International Baccalaureate (IB) ^[4] and the National Indian Open Schooling Certificate are offered at the Senior School in the Moulsari campus.

"I have no doubt that your school belongs in the IB and the IB Diploma belongs in your school. It will be a wonderful fit both ways. In terms of your community work - as well as the overall ethos and philosophy of the school, - I would even say you are outstanding among IB schools already. I have no doubt that you will very soon become a "model" which other schools in your area who are considering taking on the Diploma will be directed to."

-Rick Nikolai, IB coordinator Seisen International School, Japan. (member of IB authorisation team)

Campus facilities/infrastructure

The Junior School is nestled at the edge of the Ridge Forest on a 1.5-acre (6,100 m²) plot.

The school has a science laboratory, computer and ICT labs, music and dance rooms, lunch room, assembly hall sports facilities, a yoga room and an all weather performance area- Shri Manch.

The grey-green stone façade of Senior School, set amidst 6 acres (24,000 m²) of gently undulating green of the campus, is set against the desert landscape of Gurgaon. The building's design is based on 'clusters' of rooms for the Middle School, the Senior School and the Administrative offices. Ramps facilitate access for students and visitors. Interspersed in between are the Library, the computer laboratories, science laboratories, AV room, workshop room, the liberal arts studio, the auditorium, the gymnasium, the medical room, the SEN/NIOS rooms, the kitchens, the lunch area and staff rooms. The school's auditorium is rivalled possibly by the one at Epicentre, Gurgaon.

The Shri Ram School - Aravali sits at the heart of the Hamilton Court complex in DLF City, Phase IV, Gurgaon. Its large campus is equipped with basketball courts, a football ground, a cricket pitch and an outdoor stage. The school has an operational Multi Purpose Hall and a resource centre.

The building has two wings - the Junior and Senior, containing the library, science laboratories, Computer Laboratories, workshop room/AV room, SEN/NIOS rooms, art and craft rooms, music and dance studios, the lunch hall. A new wing for the Elementary School is under construction, designed for low consumption of energy - the rooms will not need to be lit during the days, they will be well ventilated and naturally insulated against the heat and cold, with solar panels on the roof and roof top rain water harvesting.

There is a plan to add another building in the DLF campus. An extra floor is also being added to the older school buildings of the DLF campus. An extra floor has already been added to The Shri Ram School - Aravali and an auditorium has been constructed.

Developing a social conscience

Each campus provides opportunity to the less advantaged in the community. Vasant Vihar plays host to Vidya Bal Vihar, Aravali to Vidya Comfort School, and Moulsari to Balwadi providing a space for 'slum' children to get their education in a 'proper school'.

The children of Class XI take part each year in Socially Useful Productive Work (SUPW) during which they spend a week in a village, experiencing every aspect of village life and contributing to it. Prior to the trip, the village is asked for a wish list and the children offer physical labour to fulfil that need. For example, the students have constructed a road, built a shed in the cremation ground and a completely cemented basketball court - acquiring the skills needed to do so. The students work with the villagers, visit their homes and share their food thus gaining a true understanding of the challenges and strengths of rural India.

The children of the same group that have opted for the IBSCSYSE Diploma Programme take on a similar initiative - that of Community, action, service (CAS).

In 2010, after the 2010 Leh floods, its students formed "Mission Julley", (Julley means 'hello' in the local language), an initiative which included an online community page and events, collected Rs 8 lakh for three schools and a Relief Camp in Leh. The entire parent and student body was involved in raising money.^[5]

References

External links

• The Shri Ram School Official Website (http://tsrs.org/)