JUNIOR SCHOOL

STRUCTURE AND FACILITIES

The Junior School, which includes a preparatory section for campus children and classes 4, 5 and 6, is contiguous with the Middle School, which consists of classes 7 and 8. These are housed together in the same of complex of buildings and share the facilities of an open assembly hall, a well-stocked library, science laboratories and a mathematics-cum-computer laboratory. There are also audio-visual facilities, a yoga-cum-activity room and commodious sports facilities for cricket, tennis and football.

LEARNING ATMOSPHERE AND CURRICULUM OF THE JUNIOR SCHOOL

Relationships between teachers and students in the Junior School are warm and informal. Students are treated as individuals and their emotional and social development is a key concern of teachers. The curriculum is flexible - it is continually reviewed and modified. It provides a framework for a range of sensory and experiential learning as well as the development of basic concepts and skills in various subject areas - Languages (English, Hindi, Telugu, Sanskrit, Mathematics and Environmental Studies). Apart from large, airy classrooms with 20 to 25 students, there are a variety of other contexts for learning that include outdoor spaces and field visits to different parts of the campus and the valley, as well as village visits. Knowledge-based learning is combined with a wide exposure to nature and to the social reality that surrounds the school. Morning assemblies and conversations in the classroom provide important occasions for articulating and discussing the values on which the school is based.

Evaluation is based on close observation of each child and regular class-work; reports to parents sent each terms are primarily descriptive.

LEARNING ATMOSPHERE AND CURRICULUM OF THE MIDDLE SCHOOL

The middle school years are recognized as a period of rapid development and transition. Teachers take special care in sustaining close relationships with children, attempting to keep abreast of the growing 'inner life' of individuals as well as the changing patterns in peer relationships. The curriculum broadens to include subjects like Geography, History and the Sciences and is also more challenging. Subject matter, concepts and skills are learnt through classroom teaching, teacher-designed learning material, audio-visual media, laboratory work and field trips. Students are encouraged to engage in discussions and think for themselves. Students with specific difficulties in subject areas are supported through a programme of extra-help. Arts and crafts, sports, drama and music are an integral part of the school programme. Opportunities for the pursuit of individual interests in the form of research projects, involvement with rural work, or environment-related work are provided. Middle school assemblies, culture classes, and conversations with small groups are some of the ways of helping students become more aware of the world and of themselves, think and reason more deeply, and learn to share their thoughts with others.

Evaluation is based on classroom observations and written assignments; it is supplemented with periodic tests until class 7. By the second term of class 8 students receive marked evaluation of their tests. Reports to parents at this stage continue to reflect the overall growth of the child, but now contain more pointed comments and suggestions in each the subject-area.

There are no cumulative end-of term-examinations until the end of class 9.