The team of Mumbai Live recently got in touch with Orchids- The International School which is a chain of 30+ International Schools across India. Miss Kavita Chatterjee, Principal of Orchids, iterated the values imbibed by the faculty and the students alike while speaking about the chain of schools.
1. Tell us a little about the idea behind Orchids - The International School.
The thought behind establishing the chain of schools was to provide students with a diverse educational environment that promotes self-discipline, sense of responsibility, social and global consciousness and excellence in learning. In order to achieve this, we have integrated technology into the education we impart, to make our students ready for the future. Our vision is to create future leaders by providing holistic education, by incorporating technology and values at the heart of it.
2. How would you engage students' parents as active participants in their children's education?
Education is a shared commitment between dedicated teachers, motivated students and enthusiastic parents. When parents and teachers work together, everyone wins. Students enjoy being at school more; do well at academics and love to participate in co-curricular activities; imbibing life values in an enjoyable environment. This is what we at Orchids - The International School, Kurla firmly believe in.
Gone are the days when parents would be involved only for set occasions like Annual Day, Sports Day and Parent-Teacher Meetings. We believe that parents must be involved in every step of the education that happens at school. To that extent, we regularly conduct special events that involve bringing parents and children together at school as a leisure activity. Not only do these events bring out the child in the parents but they also give the students a chance to applaud their parents’ competitive spirit.
Apart from the regular parent-teacher meetings, parents can directly approach the principal, or the teachers, to address any matter pertaining to their child or the school. Beyond this, some students also have special requirements and for that, we have introduced behavioural intervention plans with the consent and involvement of parents, along with training the teachers to be extra attentive to the needs of the children.
3. How do you ensure that a child’s education is not only limited to academics but extracurricular as well?
At Orchids - The International School, our best in class infrastructure allows our students the luxury of choosing from an array of outdoor activities and sports. The incorporation of these activities within the curriculum helps develop a holistic personality. It brings out the skills such as time management, prompts to be a team player, making a contribution and building relationships. Students learn to multitask and manage their diverse interests.
4. Tell us about some of the activities students engage in daily apart from studies.
The restriction caused due to the pandemic has moved physical education to the virtual space, which has opened many doors of possibilities to all of us by blending technology with creative imagination. We have left no stone unturned to provide sustainable platforms to our children not only in the field of education but in honing their skills, finding their passion, brushing their talents, and enhancing their physical and mental well-being. We launched an exclusive radio channel - Orchadio, where students actively engage in the curation of shows, right from scripting to hosting them. We also opened up a Discussion Forum, for the children to engage in conversations with their peers. Some of the other activities we initiated that encourage creativity are 'Raise the Curtain', which is an online theatre presentation, elocution, coding-python, hackathons, art and dance contests too.
5. How do you ensure the quality of education is maintained at Orchids - The International School?
Good infrastructure is the foremost requirement for parents these days. That being said, we ensure students have access to spacious classrooms, clean and hygienic amenities, lab facilities and enough area to also encourage sporting activities. Our teachers are also highly knowledgeable and are capable of supporting the young inquisitive minds of students. We provide our teachers with training and workshops at regular intervals facilitating a healthy balance of work and relaxation.
Our text-books are designed keeping in mind children’s needs. The curriculum is reviewed every few years, along with keeping in mind the importance of weight and size of the textbooks printed. With this, we don’t just rely on one kind of exams, we have incorporated formative assessments which includes periodic assessment through weekly tests, dictation, open-book tests, and oral comprehension.
6. Tell us a little about the faculty at the Mumbai branches of the school.
The faculty members at Mumbai are resourceful and resilient. Our educators are rested with the responsibility to shape young minds into fearless, principled and confident individuals. The teachers at Orchids - The International School inspire and encourage children to believe in themselves and their dreams. Our teachers come from diverse backgrounds and they are all well-read and keenly aware of the importance they bring to the table. Each of them is accomplished in their own right and share the same vision and passion for educating students.
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