St. John's Shishu Vihar - India

Program Image

Program

  • Type of Program: Pre-School
  • Age Served: 2 to 5 years
  • Funding Sources: Parent fees
  • Presenter: Zarin Virji
  • Address: S. V. Road, Goregaon (West)
    Mumbai, Maharastra, India 400104
  • Telephone: 8747474
  • Fax: 8758978
  • Email: [email protected]

Program Purpose

To build a community (children, teachers, administrators, parents...) of thinking, learning and creative individuals with a high self-esteem, who will make a positive contribution to the global village that we live in, within a multi-cultural and multi-lingual setting that we find in India.

Program Description

I Making everyone a stakeholder in the learning process at St. John's Shishu Vihar.
Our director, Mr. Dilip Mirchandani introduced the concept of synergy i.e. creative collaboration, which has yielded amazing results. He initiated a process of honest sharing and openness to correction that has increased the communication among staff significantly, naturally leading to, greater welfare of the child. Now there's a greater shared responsibility towards the school.

II Respecting all people.
All of us at St. John's have a firm belief in actively pursuing a policy of communal harmony. This is reflected in our staff recruitment as well as admission of children policy. More than acceptance or tolerance of cultural/ religions differences, we attempt to celebrate the differences. In keeping with this policy, we naturally celebrate every major and minor festival and emphasize the essence of all religions, which is to develop an integrated human being. From the next academic year we are going to introduce a structured program for 'Breakdown of Prejudice and Communal Harmony' at both the staff and student level.

III Evolving into a Thinking, Learning and Creative school.
I consider this to be one of the greatest strengths of our school i.e. we have the integrity to honestly evaluate our program, day to day, year to year. We are unashamed in making corrections in what we may have thought to be a brilliant idea the previous year. Also, we are open to learning from others as well as sharing our achievements with others.Thus we have an intensive two-week period of planning and preparation at the end of each academic year. This planning is in keeping with one of our guiding principles "Democracy in Decision Making", Therefore, our planning ensures ownership to the idea. As relationships here are based on trust, we encourage teachers to exercise their choice and provide them with opportunities to try out innovations. The only consideration being 'in the ultimate analysis is this innovation beneficial to the child?'

IV Partnership with parents
For a majority of our parents, bringing up children is no more than providing food, clothing and shelter. As there is a great demand for seats at admission time, we invite parents to attend a talk on parenting skills at that time. Once they get a taste of it, they are more likely to attend workshops throughout the year.We have also offered classes in conversational English to help parents communicate with Children in the language they are learning at school. Also, all parent workshops are conducted not in English, but in Hindi, the language that most parents understand.

V Nurturing Faculty to be Life Long Learners
Minimum Qualification: Graduate in any discipline and E.C.C.E. training.
All teachers are trained in Intel's computer-aided education. Five teachers are master trainers.
In - service refresher training in all aspects of child development.
Presentations made by each teacher on issues in ECCE.
Our teachers are resource persons at other schools.
Support staff to undergo a basic course in E.C.C.E., gaining a certificate, a raise in salary as well as a change in designation - 'caregivers'
Membership of IAPE, FORCES, NAEYC ensures a constant supply of Indian and global perspectives on E.C.C.E.
Tie- Up with the Department of Human Development, SNDT University ensures a four-fold support: planning the program, organizing seminars, conducting research and reviewing the strengths and weaknesses of the program.
Writing for publications - in-house 'Expressions' and the 'Yearbook' as well as newsletters such as 'Classroom', 'Balak'...
Networking with educational and social organizations in India and abroad e.g. Initiatives of Change, Greater India Friendship Trust.

Edited by Michael Kalinowski