Academics

DON BOSCO - A BEE - HIVE

'The goal of education in a school can be successfully fulfilled, if there is a strong academic foundation.' But the real success of education is a blend of academics and co-curricular activities.

ACADEMICS
Don Bosco is perceived as a school apart, for it has a fine blend of academics, sports and culture. Considering the numerous activities that take place all the year round one wonders when the teaching and learning is done. Well, the secret is precise pre-planning with perfect execution and behold, you have a NEAT job done in every arena. A true testament to this claim are the innumerable laurels won by the students in every field. Don Bosco sends up on an average over three hundred students and secures a nearly cent percent result. This in itself speaks volumes about the overall academic performance of the school. Apart from this, Don Bosco encourages its students to participate in various public exams such as the Middle/ High School Scholarship Exams, Maths Proficiency, Homi Bhabha, Prathamik/ Prarambhik / Pravesh Exams in Hindi to name a few.

Each standard has its syllabus meticulously charted in the syllabus book which also contains formats of the Test/Exam papers along with the distribution of marks. Every child is given this book at the beginning of each academic year. This enables the teachers to efficiently execute the syllabus and aids the parents to follow the work systematically done in school.

Particular attention is paid to the students of Std. X. Moving away from the normal practice of strict detention at the Std. IX level, only those who have fared very miserably are kept back. A case in instance, during the last academic year out of approximately 317 students only ten were detained. Yet, we have SSC results we can be proud of.

This is possible only because each and every student is very carefully followed up.

Planning and processing of both syllabus and students for Std. X begins towards the end of the academic year for the students of Std. IX.

Students needing added attention are short listed and steps to ensure their progress are taken.

SPECIAL ATTENTION
Special Remedial classes are held during the holidays to help these students from May 2 to May 30 from 8.30 a.m to 1.30 p.m everyday in Languages, Maths and Science. This continues throughout the year before and after school. The children are repeatedly tested in small sections of the important portion thereby training them for the SSC Exam. This continues during the Diwali and Christmas vacation too. 'Special Individual Attention' is the hall mark of these classes.

ATTENDANCE
Utmost importance is given to the regularity in attendance of students of Std. X. If a student is absent for any genuine reason, he is admitted to class only when either of the parents come to explain the reason for his absence. At times it is inconvenient for the parents to accompany the child but in the long run it is appreciated by them.

PRIVILEGED CLASS
The students needing added attention are put together in a special division which has less number of students so as to enable the teacher to give each student concentrated and individual attention. The teachers chosen for them are 'our' best, bestowed with a lot of experience, patience and vigilance. During the year special sessions are held for them by the school counsellor to motivate them and to help them adopt better study techniques. This segregation is only to aid them for their performance at the SSC Examination and we are proud to say that the privileged class has yielded excellent results as we get nearly cent percent results by following this system.

PERFORMANCE IN THE UNIT TEST
If any of the students except the privileged class obtain less than fifty percent in any subject during the Unit Test they are made to appear for a Re-test and Re-Retest on Thursdays and Sundays according to their performance. A question bank is prepared in Marathi and Maths to facilitate the learning of important topics. Tests are based on these topics.

FR. RECTOR'S INTERVIEW
At the beginning of the term before the First Unit Test, Rev. Fr. Rector visits each class. After a talk, the students fill up a proforma, expressing their likes, dislikes, strengths and weaknesses. This is followed up with a personal interview of every child by Fr. Rector as and when time permits, before the student leaves school. This builds up a firm relationship between the students and the school. The students are always welcomed to visit their Alma Mater at any time.

FR. PRINCIPAL'S ADDRESS
Fr. Principal addresses all the students of Std. X on several occasions. At the beginning of the year and just before the First Term ends, he tells them how to handle stress, motivates them and speaks to them about general behaviour. He is encouraging and at the same time firm. In addition he meets the students needing special attention along with their parents at least four to five times in a year. In these meetings an analysis of their wards performance is put forth along with general and gentle instructions to the parents as to how they could support their kids in the crucial year. He also addresses and advises all the parents during the general meetings held at least thrice a year.

SOCIO-ECONOMICALLY WEAK STUDENTS
The Management provide freeships and concessions to these students as and when requests for waiver of various payments like Computer fee, Picnic, Aptitude Test fee, are made. Under no circumstances are the students deprived of any facility provided by the school for lack of finance.

APTITUDE TEST
This test is conducted by our sister concern Prafulta for every student of Std. X. The result is given to the students individually who are accompanied by their parents. Proper counselling and career guidance along with various options available are also explained to them.

EXAMS/PRELIMS
The First Term Exam is held after the Diwali Vacation or during the last week of vacation to ensure proper utilization of the holidays. The students get time to prepare well as eighty percent of the portion in all the subjects is completed before the holidays.

The First Prelim is held after the Christmas holidays. Those students scoring less than twenty-five marks in the languages and less than forty in Maths are given rigorous practice tests after teaching the important topics. The aim is, "All must pass."

The Second Prelim Exam is held in the first week of February. All the papers are corrected by outside moderators and paper setters. Tips, guidelines and techniques for answering board papers are explained to the students.

SCIENCE PRACTICALS
For better retention of subject matter in Science, demonstrations and experiments are carried out in all the topics. Arrangements for observation of specimens is also made.

Prior to the Board Science Practicals, all the students are made to revise all the practicals which they have done during the course of the year to ensure good performance during the Exam.


DAY WITH PARENTS
Day with parents is held after the First/Second Unit Test and after the First Term Exam. It is an enriching experience for all concerned - child, parent and teacher as they positively interact and a strong bond of understanding is established which makes the child aware that the school and his home are in sync to help him develop a persona to be proud of and therefore he better think twice before playing any pranks for he may have to pay a heavy price for it.
The First Term Submissions and the Open day was held on 19th November 2005 .

AN INNOVATIVE METHOD - THE DISCOVERY METHOD
Science is a branch of knowledge involving systematized observation and experiment. It is knowledge gained through the skillful use of technique and a pursuit to develop, create, innovate, using natures principles- Law of Gravitation, Law of Floatation, Principle of Displacement to name a few. In order to create a scientific approach to life as well as satisfy the young, inquisitive mind. (Why does an apple fall down and not go up? Why do some things float while others sink?) it was decided to start the "Discovery Method" to maximise the use of the state-of-the-art Physics, Chemistry, Biology laboratories that we can boast of.

The Discovery method was introduced in the year 1999 for students of Stds V & VI under the able guidance of Prof. Prakash Burte and Bal Vaigynik scientists from Madhya Pradesh. It was introduced in Std. VII the following year.

How does it differ? We do not follow text books. The syllabus is so framed keeping in mind the needs of the child in today's modern world and the science syllabus framed by the Maharashtra Board. The principle of this method is 'Learning by Doing' - the child is guided by well - prepared worksheets step- by - step leading him from the known to the unknown by experimenting, observations, illustrations and questions that are not only thought-provoking but also conclusive in nature. Objectives:

(1) The most important objective is that rote learning is ruled out. By experimenting, the child discovers facts, causes, properties, effects in and around him which lead to better retention, making the subject interesting as it is mingled with activities from day- to- day life.

(2) Scientific attitude is developed - showing the child that everything is dynamic - nothing is absolutely right or wrong - hence new theories and opinions are accepted readily.

(3) The spirit of teamwork is inculcated and a spirit of enquiry enhances thought-provoking questions for both the student and teacher. The students are under no stress for the exam as the question paper is also designed to test what they have done, themselves. Rote learning is not encouraged.

(4) The teachers prepare and review worksheets again and again. They have to be very patient with each answer and query of the child.

(5) Diagrammatic differences in the actual specimen and those in the charts / books/ worksheets are noted with an explanation from the teacher. When certain experiments do not give the desired results it becomes an experience - Why it did not work? and a lot of thought is given to the subject thus stimulating the thought process. Innovation and improvisation is made, both by the students and teachers to make it work. Many scientific principles get explained in the process.

LEARNING WITH A DIFFERENCE !

The 'Theory of Multiple Intelligences' as proposed by Dr. Howard Gardner in 1982 grabbed the attention of educators and schools around the world have been using this philosophy to redesign the way they educate children. Appreciating and following this concept, which stresses the need for recognizing the diversity of the learners in their learning styles, learning potentials and their ability to retain, our school has made provisions to cater to a multiplicity of 'intelligences' in each child through, 'Education Through Computers' or the 'E.T.C.' class as it is often referred to.

This stresses the learner-centered approach to education, wherein each child is encouraged to study at his own pace, using the specially-created computer programs for subjects as diverse as English, Mathematics, Science, History and Geography. The computer provides stimulus variation to enhance the explanation given by the teacher and also facilitates more concrete learning as the child learns through multiple media such as text, images and sound. The extra information provides a welcome complement to the basic matter in textbooks.

The teacher acts as a guide to help the child discover and understand all that he sees appearing before him, slide by slide. Each program provides the necessary matter that is to be studied, in addition to a series of exercises for the child to solve. The teacher controls the matter appearing on each computer screen through a central console. At times each child is allowed to go through the matter in the program himself, individually controlling what he sees on his screen at his own pace.

The program's of the E.T.C laboratory are well compartmentalized to promote a smooth learning for students of all the standards of the secondary section. The program's are also updated / upgraded from time to time and new lessons are supplemented.

Teachers are especially trained to teach the subjects through the E.T.C. classes under the able guidance and supervision of the Principal, Rev. Fr. Crispino himself. Each teacher prepares her own E.T.C. program in a particular subject that she teaches and delivers mock lessons to a group of teachers. At the end of the session, the student teachers provide the necessary constructive criticism as regards content, delivery, teacher-pupil interaction, pupil participation, strengths and weaknesses. The Principal adds on his valuable suggestions for improvement.

The E.T.C classes thus provide for new and fun-filled ways to learn complex concepts in a simple manner which is much different from the traditional chalk-and -talk lecture method and old textbooks.

CHARTING THE HIGHWAY OF I.T

Computer technology has transformed society in profound ways. For better or worse, the increasing pervasiveness of computer technology is a reality no one can ignore. Computers are fast becoming integrated into nearly every aspect of daily living-from school to work, to banking and shopping, to paying taxes and even voting. They provide access to a wide range of information without a trip to the library. They convey personal messages in place of the post office or telephone. And they compete with newspapers, radio, and television in providing entertainment and news of the day. In the "Digital Age," computer technology is transforming society by enabling many people to work anytime, anywhere, freed from a workplace anchored in time and space. As a result, growing number of parents are providing their children with access to computers at home.

Keeping these objectives in mind at Bosco's we have 2 spacious computer labs which are State-of-the-art which can house 60 computers so that each student gets the hold of the keyboard and instructions on a one-to-one basis. In the secondary computer lab we have 60 Pentium-4 machine through which students are taught all window based packages like Visual Studio, Photoshop, CorelDraw, Macromedia Flash, Microsoft Office. These software's enables them to enhance their creativity, designing skills and develop their logical reasoning so this process of learning simply lays the foundation for their future endeavours.

Teachers who work with children provide guidance and support to ensure that all children learn to use computers effectively and responsibly. Much remains to be accomplished! If we are to ensure that our children not only acquire the necessary skills to use computers effectively as a tool in their daily lives, but also benefit from technology's potential to enrich their learning both inside and outside the classroom.

COMPUTER DROME

Academicians all over the world are breaking their heads to identify which of the sub-steps in the learning process of young minds should the traditional methodology be allowed to continue. And which sub-step to innovate. It was during one such brainstorming that the idea of the Cyber library was conceptualized.

Simply put, the Cyber library is the way forward to the thousand year old traditional library now fired with the growth engine called IT (Informational Technology) and computers. While the basic intention would be to provide a 'one-stop' information and knowledge bank to students, the use of computers and other modern amenities would ensure that students using such facility would stay 'one-up' over others due to the better quality of inputs and the speed of the execution.

It was with that intention that the Cyber library at Don Bosco High School, Matunga was envisaged. Today the school is proud to offer this facility to all its students and teachers in the form of a large array of books and periodicals, along with its novel program ETC (Education Through Computers). Aided with LCD projectors, students can watch educational audio-visuals on Science, Geography and History, and also work on software's like Paintbrush and Flash. Internet facility is also available here, and the students can browse and garner additional information on any subject of their choice. This facility is open on all school days between 0900 hrs to 1615 hrs.

We sincerely hope the student community is benefited immensely through this method of pedagogy. This Cyber Library is indeed one of the futuristic things currently available with Don Bosco, and every Boscoite should justifiably feel proud to be a part of such a technological progress.