Staff Enrichment

IB student exchange with the Citadel College Lent, Netherlands

The IB student exchange with the Citadel College Lent, Netherlands that was attended by me made me introspect and become aware of various attributes of a teacher for the 21st Century learners which many of us may need to reflect upon while handling young adults. The calmness and dignity with which the teachers dealt with the Dutch teenagers made me realise the fact that we can discipline young adults without imposing it on them. The Principal of Citadel, from his activity of pancakes making, brought out the fact that we can be passionate with our hobbies even after a packed day and emphasised the fact that we can instill involvent of the class by creative thinking and hands on experience. This experience of the Student exchange has made me and my students become open minded and accept other culture while maintaining our values . This trip has made me tolerant to to others. I have been able to accept people. I also learnt that time management is a virtue that i must imbibe in my students. In conclusion i have learnt that challenges of teachers all over the world remains the same
I wish to thank the School Management and the Director - Education and Principal Mrs. Revathi Srinivasan for giving me this wonderful learning opportunity. Also wish to thank all the entire team of teachers who made this a memorable visit for the whole group .

Ms. Deepti Vimal

Experience of student exchange programme, Netherlands

It was indeed a moment of joy , when I was chosen to be a part of the international Student exchange programme to Cambreur College, the Netherlands. Preparations for the visit went on full swing and on April 7th 2017, we took off to Amsterdam.
We were welcomed by the International team if Cambreur College and the hosts amidst much fanfare and tulips.
The programme had both a formal and an informal aspect to it. The students had an equal exercising of their brain power and their muscle power through their various discussions and their time by playing Korfball, a traditional Dutch game and Kho-Kho, an Indian tag game.
The Dutch came across as being punctual and very organised who also were friendly and enviro-conscious. Warm hearted and loving, guests are treated with utmost care. We also had the opportunity to visit a primary school in Dongen and understood that being organised and independent is taught to them at a very early age. Dutch people have a work culture wherein they respect each and every profession.
It was indeed a wonderful opportunity given by the School and am extremely grateful for this chance to learn more.

Mr. Dattatrey Tarde

International Student exchange Programme to Cambreur College, NL

What have you gained by participating in the programme?

This programme has given an insight into the customs and practices of the people of Netherlands and also an opportunity to understand the similarities and differences in the cultures of the two countries, India and the Netherlands. I have understood the importance of accepting and respecting others and their opinions.

How will yourlearning help you in future?

This programme has definitely helped me to have adefinitive approach towards teaching-learning processes,importance of time management, acknowledging others around us while adapting to their practices and culture.

Key areas that have been developed in yourpersonality through this programme

• Adaptability
• Openness to learn
• Time management
• Punctuality
• Inter personal skills
• Student management

How have you evolved as a student/teacherby participating in this programme?

As a teacher I have,

• Acquired the experience of handling adolescent students
• Working in and as a team
• Managing time and resources effectively and efficiently
• To be an effective facilitator in the learning environment to maximise learning process for the students.

Ms. Lavanya Devanathan

Lessons learnt from experiences lessons for lifetime. My heartfelt thanks to our dear Principal Madam Mrs. Revathi Srinivasan for giving me an opportunity to be a part of the school international programme. It was a wonderful learning experience to be a part of the school international exchange programme. Our school Smt. Sulochanadevi Singhania provides ample of opportunities for students as well as teachers to learn and grow through such exchange programmes
I was very lucky to be a part of two such student exchange programme - MidCalder Primary School in Edinburgh, Scotland and Cambreur College Netherlands in 2013 and 2015 respectively. The first exchange programme with Mid Calder Primary is very special to me because this was the first time that students of grade four and five (age 9 and 10) were having an exchange programme. It was a beautiful journey of learning - from compiling of papers for visa, training children for cultural programmes and presentations.
The second exchange programme was Cambreur College, Netherlandswith a group of ISC students. Both the exchange programmes have helped me to hone my skills and also develop new skills which have equipped me and helped me to grow as a better teacher. These exchange programmes give us an insight into the different cultures around the world enabling us to assimilate, adapt and understand each other better.

Mrs. Nirmala Kulkarni

It was an honour to be invited by the ICSE council to be a part of the curriculum development meeting that was held in New Delhi on 22nd and 23rd April 2016. The Council is keen on aligning the curriculum from pre-primary to Grade 8 in a uniform manner across schools in the country keeping in mind the learners’ needs today and the global scenario.
I, alongwith Mrs. Nandita Sinkar were part of the science curriculum group. It was an insightful experience meeting teachers from other parts of the country and discussing ideas and differences in our teaching. We shared the council’s need to bring more of homogeneity in the topics covered in the subject at each grade.
This experience greatly helped me in professional growth as a teacher. It strengthened my research skill and allowed me to look at the curriculum in an objective manner. I also learned that the skills needed in today’s worldare much different from what was expected years ago. We were made aware of many important aspectsto be looked at while designing the curriculum frame work. Hence it was a great learning event.
I would like to thank principal Madam for giving me this wonderful opportunity to be a part of this curriculum planning group and trusting my capabilities. I, together with the others in the group hope and believe that this collaborated endeavour will truly benefit the learners and teachers of all ICSE schools in the country.

Ms. Vaishali Purdhierkar

Visit To Scotland in May 2014

The day I received a letter from Principal Madam stating about my visit to Scotland (Midcalder School) asa part of international exchange programme, I was on the ninth cloud. It took some time for me to digest the news and understand the immense responsibility on my shoulders. As a part of this programme, I was going to represent my school and my country in a totally different environment.
After the initial preparations, Principal Madam guided us with the different activities we had to conduct in the partner school.
My stay in Scotland was for 8 days and I had the opportunity of learning new things. We did activities like .... Coffee painting, yoga sessions, teaching Sanskrit shlokas to the students of the partner school.

This trip gave me an opportunity to learn so many new things. It also developed my self confidence as an individual. The visit not only helped me grow professionally but also personally. Those eight days of my life will be cherished by me throughout my life.

I would like to sincerely THANK Principal Madam and the school management for giving me this wonderful opportunity.

Ms. Deepti Joshi

Visit to Scotland - Broadening Teachers Perspective

This was the best and a once-in -a lifetime opportunity to enhance our teaching career in an exciting and adventurous way.
It helped us to expand our professional skill in a different way.
Learning different style and new methods of teaching, helped us to bring a global dimension into our class.
A truly wonderful and exciting program where both teacher and student could exchange their ideas, views and thoughts. We experienced a different culture and learnt mutual respect. Such programmes always help to understand things in a larger frame.
My sincere thanks to school and school management for introducing such programs.
It was truly an awesome experience. It has helped my teaching and professional growth.

Ms. Sandhya Sawant

NASA Educational Trip

I sincerely thank our Principal Madam Mrs. Revathi Srinivasan, for choosing me for the NASA Trip at Kennedy Space Centre which was from 6th May to 18th May 2015. It was my first International Educational trip with the school & a great learning experience too.

We could discover the science of space travel with an exciting visit to Kennedy Space Center. At KSC Visitor Complex we could explore the Early Space Exploration exhibit featuring stories and artifacts from the first manned US spaced flights. We crawled into an original space capsule for the ultimate astronaut experience. We enjoyed an unforgettable lunch with a veteran NASA astronaut where we could get his autograph & ask him burning space questions. Next we headed to the IMAX theatre for watching a 3D movie-“JOURNEY TO SPACE & FIRST MOON LANDING”

This really added on to our knowledge in Maths, Physics, Astrophysics & Geography. Thus the visit to space centre was an amalgamation of technology & nature.
This trip also helped us in our professional growth-as we observed the NASA scientist & the leaders very dedicated towards their work, they showed absolute professionalism in their job & excellent Teamwork.
They acknowledging the smallest work done for NASA & also were very much time-bound towards their work schedule. They were very flexible to work in all sections of NASA, they had an effective way of communication skills at all levels to convey informations & build relations, they always kept them updated for professional development which was very crucial for success of NASA mission.

If everyone imbibes these qualities in oneself it will definitely lead to a professional growth of an individual as well as Institutional growth. This NASA trip has given us lifetime memories, thrilling experiences, which we will always cherish.

Ms. Harshala Wadke

My experience about being in council curriculum planning

ICSE has a set curriculum for classes IX and X, but there is no standard curriculum for classes VIII downwards. Hence this year council has decided to design curriculum for classes Pre KG to VIII which will be followed by all ICSE schools across the country. This will bring uniformity in the curriculum in all ICSE schools.

For this purpose council approached few reputed schools all over India and called for subject expertise. I sincerely thank Principal madam Mrs. Revathi Srinivasan for suggesting my name for the same. It was a golden opportunity to work as a team member for curriculum designing for the council. I was selected as a Subject expertise for Science. It was a proud moment representing our school at the workshop and brain storming session organized by the council at New Delhi.

In our school we have been designing and planning our own curriculum for past ten years. This experience helped me a lot to contribute at the workshop. The knowledge and experience gained by me while working as a Science Faculty Coordinator for about four years gave me confidence to share my views at the workshop. It would not have been possible without the valuable guidance and constant motivation provided by Principal Madam and by Section Head Mrs. Sangeeta Londhe.
The work is still in progress. I hope that the sincere efforts taken by our team benefit the students across the country.

Ms. Nandita Sinkar

Visit To Scotland (May 2014)

Travelling through world is something I have dreamed about doing ever since I was a child. But my dream became a reality when Revathi Ma’am offered me a chance to visit Scotland. Scotland is a beautiful country with a picturesque landscape, having its historical background and most importantly the native people who value and safeguard their old tradition and culture.

I felt very honoured and blessed for having been given the opportunity by Revathi Ma’am to visit Mid Calder School at Edinburg in Scotland, which was a part of our international exchange programme. During my 8 day stay at Edinburg, I visited Carmondean Primary school and Wood Muir School, interacted with the Principals and teachers to know their pedagogy, assessment patterns and strategies used in the classrooms.

It was a totally new venture to represent my school and my country in a totally different environment. This journey to Scotland was a transformational journey of the self. During the process, there was a complete change in my persona. I developed self-confidence, self-esteem and most importantly learnt to be self-supporting.

I sincerely thank Revathi Ma’am for the wonderful opportunity. This tour has not only helped me to grow professionally but also personally.

Ms. Wilma Lobo

I attended the Category-I IBDP workshop for Mathematics (Higher level and Standard level)
The workshop was a high quality professional development programme that encouraged critical thinking, self reflection and dedication to life long learning and continuous improvement.
I enjoyed the methodology of teaching where students will be able to independently use their learning to express appropriate mathematical reasoning by constructing viable arguments, critiquing the reasoning of others, and attending to precision when making mathematical statements.
During the course of the workshop I got to collaborate with other participants and the facilitator and share views and experience of the new trends, techniques and strategies which will help me in my classroom transactions. I have gained a lot of insights for developing students into international citizens.
I would like to use the dynamic cycle of inquiry, action and reflection in my classrooms and in my life as well.

Ms. Rengalakshmi

Scaling New Heights

The introduction of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme received a mixed response. It surely meant a new challenge and called for new ways of thinking. On the other hand, it was promising - an opportunity to explore diverse areas of knowledge and the thrill is akin to that of a mountaineer trying to scale new heights.

The training workshop was at Oberoi international School, Goregaon. The first day of Category 1 training introduced us to the enormous task at hand; we were acquainted with the different aspects of the course we were to teach; now ‘teach’ would not be the appropriate word, we had to be mere facilitators, or even better, meddlers-in –the-middle. The concept of academic honesty was intriguing and TOK (Theory of Knowledge), a core component of The IBDP Course was like a haze, a vague idea. Light was thrown on the curriculum, the teaching-learning process and assessment procedures.

With changing times, professional upgradation is the only way to cope with the changing processes of teaching and learning. The exposure to the new practices with a considerable emphasis on technological involvement helped to reconsider and reorganize our existing teaching methodologies and improve upon them.

Under the aegis of Director-Principal Mrs. Revathi Srinivasan and with the immense support of the IBDP Co-coordinator Mrs.Deepti Vimal, we took small steps at a time-visiting the OCC (Online Curriculum Centre), browsing it for course details and procedures to be followed, reading the subject guide, preparing the subject outline and identifying the resources required. The consultant visit proved to be quite fruitful as we were briefed about how to prepare ourselves for the final authorization visit. It was like a formative assessment and we were also appraised on the work we had done till then. All suggestions given by the consultant were implemented. Yet another workshop followed where we received some exposure on how to work on Unit plans.

The process of training also included a substantial amount of homework. Each of us had to prepare a few presentations which we shared with our colleagues, take down minutes of the meetings and upload them, draft policies after exhaustive sessions of discussions and prepare plans. At the threshold of the commencement of the first academic session of the IBDP Course in Smt. Sulochanadevi Singhania School, Thane, it is just the beginning of a long and exciting journey.

Ms. Anindita Kar