Little Rock Indian School

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Annual Report

Tuesday, 03 January 2012 00:00 | Author: Little Rock Admin

REPORT PRESENTED BY THE PRINCIPAL AT THE

SCHOOL DAY FUNCTIONS HELD

ON DECEMBER 10, 2011

Three decades for an institution is a worthy land-mark, where one can match expectations with results, objectives with targets achieved, and above all blessings enjoyed vis-a-vis difficulties and hardships endured. Little Rock Indian School has seen both victories and vicissitudes, the ebb and flow of fortunes, but we have always experienced the benevolence of the Almighty God all these thirty years. Today therefore is a day of thanksgiving too.

So I stand before you with utmost humility, and with a profoundly grateful heart when recounting the paths trodden during the past, particularly the current academic year.

Vince Lombardi said, ‘Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence’.

Every school strives for excellence. So do we at Little Rock. We also realize what excellence is all about. Excellence is a journey and not a destination. It’s not an occasional or episodic event – it’s a relentless pursuit towards better performance and better results. It has to be ethical and value-driven. We realize clearly that we must employ appropriate processes that enable excellence.

A German tourist once visited a temple under construction where he saw a sculptor making an idol of God. Suddenly he noticed a similar idol lying nearby. Surprised, he asked the sculptor, "Do you need two statues of the same idol?" "No," said the sculptor without looking up, "We need only one, but the first one got damaged at the last stage."

The gentleman examined the idol and found no apparent damage. "Where is the damage?" he asked. "There is a scratch on the nose of the idol." said the sculptor, still busy with his work. "Where are you going to install the idol?"The sculptor replied that it would be installed on a pillar twenty feet high. "If the idol is that far, who is going to know that there is a scratch on the nose?" the gentleman asked. The sculptor looked up at the gentleman, smiled and said, “But I will know it.”

The desire to excel is exclusive of the fact whether someone else appreciates it or not. "Excellence" is a drive from inside, not outside. Excellence is not for someone else to notice but for our own satisfaction and efficiency. That others might notice and appreciate it is incidental.

This means that even if the outside world considers our School as successful, that’s not enough. We as insiders should believe that we are indeed efficient, effective and therefore successful. This is the real test of excellence. Judging by such exacting standards, we must admit we still have a long way to go. There is no room for complacency. As I have already stated, we hold on to the dictum that excellence is not a destination any time, it’s an endless journey. So we rededicate ourselves to the tasks at hand, with unwavering determination and absolute commitment.

STUDENTS, FACULTY AND STAFF

We have 3082 students on roll now, of which 1381 are girls and 1701 are boys. We have 138 on the teaching staff and 70 on the non-teaching staff. We maintain a teacher-student ratio of 1:20 or thereabout, which is one of the strong points of the School.

CBSE EXAMS

We have presented the 19th batch of Class X students and the 17^th batch of Class XII in March 2011. Our students have performed creditably this time as well. Let me give you the details of the results of the 2011 exams. This is our second batch of Class X which does not have numerical marking in their qualifying exam certificate. They have only grades. This is the new CBSE system of evaluation, popularly known as CCE (Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation).

CLASS X:

Students appeared: 242 Passed: 242 Pass Percentage: 100%

Grades English Hindi Maths Science Social Science

A1            32            20             79             67               26

A2            109          102           79             95               91

B1            68            85             46             53               77

B2            29            31             30             22               37

C1            04            04             08             05              10

C2            -              -               -                  -                01

In the absence of numerical marking, we are not able to name the top scorers in the usual manner. However we may mention here that 5 students have scored A1 in all the subjects and they are eligible to receive the various Endowment Awards. 10 students have scored A1 grade with up-gradation in one or two subjects are also eligible for the awards. We congratulate these students on their achievement.

CLASS XII:

Students appeared: 52 Passed: 52 Pass Percentage: 100%

Percentage-wise distribution Category-wise distribution

90% and above : 13 students Distinction : 32 students

80 to 90% : 19 students First Class : 19 students

70 to 80% : 13 students Second Class : 01 student

60 to 70% : 06 students

55 to 60% : 01 student

Arjun Raghunath and Neetha Prabhu with 97.4% and 95% marks aggregate have scored the highest marks in the School, in the Computer Science and Biology combinations respectively.

Arjun Raghunath has created an unmatched record in the history of the School by scoring the highest ever percentage of 98% aggregate in Class X and 97.4% in Class XII. Arjun was also adjudged ‘the most outstanding student’ last year. He deserves a huge round of applause for these remarkable achievements.

CBSE National Merit Certificates

Arjun Raghunath has received the Certificate of Merit on the basis of his outstanding performance and obtaining A1 in all subjects in AISSCE 2011. We congratulate Arjun, who will be receiving his Endowment Awards today, on his remarkable achievement and wish him well.

The following students of our School are in the top 1% (cut-off score – 466 marks out of 500) in Class XII Board Examination 2011 and eligible for Higher Education (SHE) by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Ministry of Science and Technology, Govt of India

Meghana Shanbough M R, Neetha Prabhu, Pranav P, Abhyudaya Adiga, Arjun Raghunath and Vaishak Salin

Notable Achievements of the Year

Permit me to make a brief mention of some of the major events and achievements of this year. This is, by no means, an exhaustive list. The full list will appear in our forthcoming Yearbook.

Little Rock was named the Best Performing School by the Rotary Club, Udupi based on a GK Test held in December 2010. This is the 20^th successive year that this honour is bestowed on our School.

State-level Rural IT Quiz - Ranganath Pai M and Sijo Alex M Class X have won the championship at the Zonal level and the Runners-up at the state level.

Shashanka S Rao Class XII has been selected by the Central Food Technological Research Institute CSIR) New Delhi to attend a programme for Youth Leadership in Science at Mysore.

Elton John Furtado and Priyankar Kumar of Class IX secured 3^rd place in Hindu Young World Quiz Competition in Mangalore.

Aishwarya Sudhakar of Class X of got 1^st rank in the Senior Group and Karthik Rao M of Class VII got 2^nd rank in the National Level in the EMATS (Belgaum) this year.

The team of students of Classes XI and XII won the “Overall Championship” in the Competitions organized by St. Aloysius College, Mangalore in honour of the Year of Chemistry.

Sports & Games achievement in 2011-12 Academic year

In CBSE Cluster VII Sports Meet held at Rajmandri, Andhra Pradesh, Vedant Praveen Shetty of Class IX won 1^st place in Long Jump and 2^nd place in 100 Mtrs Race and Shalom Aureole Britto of Class VIII won 2^nd place in Long Jump.

Both are qualified to participate in the National Meet to held at Meerut, U.P. to be held from 4^th – 7^th January 2012.

Vedant Praveen Shetty secured 1^st place in both 100 Mts and Long Jump in Pykka Rural District Sports meet held at Udupi.

School Relay Team won 1^st place in 4x100 Relay in this Meet.

Vedant Praveen Shetty secured 2^nd in both 100 mtrs and Long Jump in Pyka Rural State Sports meet held at Chitradurga.

He is also qualified to participate in the National Meet.

Vedant Praveen Shetty got 2^nd Place in 110 mtrs Hurdles in Amateur open Athletic State meet held at Udupi and qualified to participate National Meet at Ranchi

Handball Girls’ Team got 1^st place in Dasara Sports meet held at Udupi.

Pranathi S Acharya of Class X won 1^st place in Table Tennis and participated in State meet at Mysore.

Our School’s Boys’ team got overall Champions in Athletic Meet Conducted by Brahmavar Sports club.

Our School’s Basketball Girls’ Team won in the Pyka Rural Basketball Tournament and qualified to take part in the State Meet at Chitradurga.

Scholarships and Concessions 2011-12

Responding to our social conscience, we have been offering scholarships and fee concessions to our students from financially handicapped families and to the children of our staff. This year’s details of such scholarships and concessions are as follows:

a. Fee Concession and scholarships to 44 students - (50% fee waiver in most cases, 100% waiver a few)
6,37,203/-
b. Concession to Heidi Home children (1 student)
56,620/-
c. Fee Concessions to children of lower income category staff  of the campus institutions: (33 students)
4,76,354/
d. Waiver of Vehicle Maintenance Contribution and Food charges to the children of faculty and staff: (120 students)
7,30,400/-
e. Endowed scholarships: Total endowed Sum: Rs 12,47,521/- Interest at 12% p.a. to be given away as scholarships:
1,49,703/-
TOTAL outlay during this academic year:
  20,23,280/-

Endowments:

Little Rock’s teaching and non-teaching staff have created two new endowments in memory of our beloved Founder Dr. C.T. Abraham. Rs 5 lakhs is set apart for Merit-cum-Means scholarships, and another Rs 5 lakhs is for Teacher Development Programmes under STEP (School Teacher Enrichment Programme). I wish to place on record our sincere appreciation to all our staff for this magnanimous gesture.

Library Facilities

We have three libraries, with a combined floor area of 7370 sq. ft., perhaps one of the largest school libraries in the country. The three libraries have a combined stock of 55,956 books costing around Rs 44,87,576. The addition of the current year has been 284 books costing Rs 37,978. We subscribe to multiple copies of all major newspapers, magazines and journals. Library is a great influence amongst students teachers in our School.

GLOBAL GATEWAY - GLOBAL SCHOOL PARTNERSHIPS

We have entered into a partnership with St. Aidan’s Primary School Bellinge, England with a view to promoting global awareness, and an increased understanding of the way in which global issues affect the every day lives of individuals, communities and societies.

Three teachers from our School – Mrs Sherly James, Mrs Vijaya M. Bhat and Mrs Sini Joseph visited our partner school in England in March-April. In their reciprocal visit, Mrs Melanie Ravenscroft, Mrs Ann-Marie Moore and Mrs Karen Benetatos from St. Aidan’s visited us for a week in October. For all of these teachers and the other participants these have been productive and memorable events.

Both the schools experienced a totally different world through these exchange visits. The children involved in these programmes continue to be in touch with each other through emails. We hope at a later stage more teachers and even students will be able to travel to each other’s country through the GSP of British Council.

Support to neighbouring schools

This year also we arranged to hand over free uniforms to children of three neighbouring schools on Independence Day and Gandhi Jayanthi, at a cost of Rs 1,06,000/-. We continue to lend a helping hand to the local schools through various programmes. Children of Chanthar Aided School continue to learn computers in the evenings, and those from VKR Acharya School, Kunjal come on alternate Saturdays for the Spoken English classes.

We also support organizations like the National Foundation for Communal Harmony, Helpage India, and a few charitable organizations which run institutions for the care of the differently able children in Karnataka State.

Our Birthday Fund also is able to come to the aid of many people in desperate need of help, especially in medical emergencies. The source for the Birthday Fund is the voluntary contribution of children on their birthdays.

New Facilities added this year

· Vehicles: Rs 31,82,876

· Computers, Smartboard: Rs 13,05,221

· Furniture, Offset Printer, Book Stitching Machine: Rs 3,67,819

· Steam Generator, Sports Materials: Rs 17,32,984

Total investment on facilities during the year: Rs 50,63,024/-

Faculty Development Programmes

Aim Insights, Mangalore conducted a two-day training programme for all the teachers of the School at the start of this academic year.

We have had an intensive training programme in CCE (Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation) by a Resource Team from Everonn Systems, Chennai recently in our School for our teachers and those of other CBSE Schools of Udupi region.

Our teachers are deputed to attend training programmes in different places with a view to updating their knowledge and teaching skills on a regular basis.

We also offer training to the teachers of govt schools and aided schools of this region, under the STEP (School Teacher Enrichment Project) of the School. Recently we offered a training programme on Interactive Teaching of English Grammar.

Parents’ Involvement in Schooling

We conduct a series of parents’ meetings every year. This year we had six sessions in all, addressed by a panel of professionals from KSHEMA, Nitte University, Mangalore. Ms. Delsy Sapna Pasanna, Dr. Shrinivasa Bhat, Dr. Satheesh Rao, Dr. Smitha, Dr. Aneesh Bhat, and Ms Priya Varma addressed the different sessions. 1953 parents have attended these meetings. Every one of them was a truly educative session for both the parents and the teachers.

A bouquet of gratitude I wish to acknowledge the co-operation and support of so many people without whom it would just be not possible to accomplish anything worthwhile.

Let me thank all the Trustees for their trust and unstinted co-operation. I am also beholden to all the School Managing Committee members, parents, members of the faculty and staff. We have departments like Hostels, Mess, Vehicles, Construction, and Campus Supplies. Every one of them is like the spokes of a wheel, all equally important. I wish to thank every one who is associated with the School in one way or the other. It’s our team work that enables us to accomplish many things here.

I must make a special mention of our Head Teachers and Teachers who decidedly are the ones weathering every storm, and bracing themselves to meet every challenge cheerfully, finally creating the greatest impact on the children who come in our direction. Our teachers are like a celestial band that sings in perfect harmony, and so their services need the highest approbation.

The students of the School and the alumni are our inestimable assets. It’s they who have created the image of Little Rock. We as a School plan everything for the ultimate good of our students. We don’t make an apology for the fact that we are a student-centred school. This year to give an added impetus, we have adopted the theme “School is for children”. Last year we had the slogan “Every Child Matters”.

At this hour, I recall with great devotion and reverence the contribution of our Founder Dr. C.T. Abraham, whose sole objective in starting the Little Rock was to build a school with a difference. He is a constant inspiration to all of us here.

Last but not the least I bow in gratitude before the Lord Almighty who made all of this possible. Every day brings His blessings, every moment we experience His care and protection.

Thank you very much.

sd/-

December 10, 2011 (Mathew C. Ninan)

Principal

Dr C.T. ABRAHAM

Monday, 02 January 2012 19:08 | Author: LRIS Admin

Dr C.T. ABRAHAM – HIS LIFE AND TIMES

“Here is a man of God, who did nothing for himself, everything for others, and found great joy in doing so.”

Cheppanalil Thomas Abraham was born in Pallipad in Alleppey Dist of Kerala on June 12, 1932. His father Mr C.I. Thomas was a school teacher, who commanded great respect in the locality. He passed away when Dr. Abraham was barely eight years old. Thus it was his mother who brought him up. His mother Mrs Mariamma Thomas was a devout Christian lady of extraordinary talents and qualities. She brought up her young son and a daughter through a lot of struggles, but inculcating in them love of god and discipline in all aspects of life.

Dr Abraham was a brilliant student throughout his academic career. He had his early schooling in his native village of Venmoney, and went to do his intermediate in St. Xavier’s College, Calcutta, where he stayed with one of his uncles. He came back to Kerala and did his BSc degree at the SD College, Alleppey. He started his teaching career at the age of twenty itself, soon after his graduation, at the local High School. Later he went on to do his BEd at the NSS Training College, Pandalam. He stood first in his BEd exams in the entire Kerala University, which was the single university for the whole of Kerala those days. Thus he won the gold medal from the University.

Dr Abraham continued his teaching in the High School, at Kodukulanji, a small village next to his own native village. His wife Mrs Alice Abraham also joined as a teacher in the same school. A couple working in the same school was all that a family could dream of in those days. However for Dr Abraham such commonplace calculations were not important. A man far ahead of his times, he could not be content with a teacher’s job in his own place. He was made for bigger things. Maybe this inner voice prompted him to look for a broader canvas to continue his career of teaching. He got an admission in the Nagpur University to do his master’s degree in education in 1962.

After obtaining his MEd he got an offer to teach in a training college in Marthandom, Tamil Nadu, and later on in Nedunganda, a town near Quilon, both under the then Madurai University. In 1967 he joined the Peet Memorial Training College, Mavelikara nearer his native place as a Lecturer. He continued teaching in this college for a few years. Again this man of indomitable courage and conviction geared himself up for greater things. He obtained an assistantship in the Maryland University in the USA to do his doctoral studies. He proceeded on leave from Peet Memorial, and pursued his studies when he was already nearly forty years, and had a family to support. Obviously his mother, wife and two daughters were always supportive of his adventurous streak in him. Else he could not have gone on this track.

In the US he had to fend for himself. He used to say how he had to work and study. 24 hours were not enough for him. He used to do part-time jobs to support himself. After three years of real hard work, he obtained his PhD in Science Education (Ed D in the US – which stands for Doctorate in Education) from the University of Maryland in 1972.

It was during his stay in the USA for his doctoral studies that he got involved in Church activities in a serious manner. Dr. Abraham used to be an active member of the church and speaker at meetings. He was always in great demand as a speaker in public meetings, seminars and conferences – both academic and church-related.

Though he achieved his life-time ambition of a doctorate, somehow he was not content with it either. There was his restless soul, perhaps, yearning for something beyond the terrestrial, something supernatural, something spiritual. Finally the call became clear. He decided to go back to USA and pursue a master’s degree in theology. He joined the Liberty University and completed his master’s in Christian Education in 1976.

He returned to India, and started teaching in the Peet Memorial College, Mavelikara. All this while he was seriously planning an organization. Eventually he founded the India Suvartha Samithi (Good News Orgnization India) around the same time. He founded a Bible College where students could work, earn and study too. This arrangement went on for a few years.

Meanwhile Dr Abraham’s decision to float a Baptist Church in the native place was much resented by the mainline churches and church members. One who hails from an ancient Syrian Christian family with a hoary tradition, and a lot of respectability was moving away from the mainstream church and was founding a Baptist church. This was not taken kindly by his own relatives and friends. Though all of them acknowledged the extraordinary abilities of this man, they could not easily accept his new-found love of the Baptist Church – with its belief in adult baptism – the main contention between the mainstream Episcopal churches and Dr Abraham’s inner convictions.

To cut the long story short, Dr Abraham was somewhat disillusioned by the local animosity to his well-meaning efforts to provide both religious and secular education to the young people of the area. Though many people lent him support personally, it was not easy for people to identify themselves with a deserter of the traditional church.

Dr and Mrs Abraham decided to pay a visit to their daughter and son-in-law who were in Brahmavar already at this time. In 1981 to be exact, they came to Brahmavar. I was then the Principal of SMS College in Brahmavar. Dr Abraham told me how he wouldn’t mind shifting his work to this place if we got some land. Luckily for us we bumped into the right man – Mr Ashok Bhat of Chanthar. We got this land, which is around 30 acres owned by his brothers who were living in Hubli then. When he was thinking about starting some projects here under the aegis of Priority One India, I suggested that we start an English Medium School, affiliated to CBSE, because I felt that an English Medium School was the need of the time. So in the year 1982 Dr Abraham started the Little Rock Indian School.

Soon thereafter in 1984 the Crossland College, affiliated to the Mangalore University was founded by Dr Abraham. The Pre-university College followed in 1987.

The India Theological Seminary was established around the same time. The Heidi Home, a home for the orphaned and poor children was also started eventually.

In 1991 the Liberty University, Virginia conferred upon Dr Abraham an honorary doctorate for his record of service in India. Many organizations have honoured him for his service in the field of education, but he never hankered after recognition or awards or any such thing. For him true recognition, he believed, would come only from heaven.

The Little Rock Indian School obviously is the most visible creation of Dr. C. T. Abraham, the flag-ship of the Priority Highlands, and of the whole of Brahmavar. Brahmavar today is best known as the cradle of Little Rock. What started as a small school 25 years ago has become a great name today in the annals of modern school education. It has emerged as a virtual synonym for excellence in schooling, known far and wide.

The credit for the extraordinary achievements of Little Rock should go primarily to the vision and professionalism of Dr C.T. Abraham. He has never been worried about the finances of the School. We used to have serious financial problems. He used to say with great confidence that we would manage somehow. This courage of his conviction in doing what has to be done, in spite of difficulties and persevering in the job was the single most important factor that made Little Rock what it is today – a School with a difference. He never wilted or withered even when faced with serious problems or difficulties. I think he never cared, because he always believed that the Lord would take care of everything.

We never had money before we launched any project. We only had enthusiasm and passion. Money came in later. Even today the story is no different. To the outside world perhaps Little Rock looks like a rich institution with lots of money in its treasure troves, but the fact is that this institution still thrives on hope, noble objectives, and great ideals. Money is only a tool in our hands. This is the great lesson our Founder taught us. He never bowed before money. He never worshipped or cared for money. He valued ideas, he respected people, he trusted people, and he always encouraged them. He left them to do their job, giving them a nudge or two, a pep talk now and then, but never ever threw cold water on their ideas or initiatives. He was a builder of people.

A man of creative ideas, a fertile imagination, stupendous energy and inexhaustible passion for service, humble and unselfish to the core, here is a man of God, who did nothing for himself, everything for others, and found great joy in doing so… we can only exclaim as Antony did when speaking of Brutus –

‘His life was gentle, and the elements

So mixed in him that Nature might stand up

And say to all the world, ‘This was a man!’

Such men tread on this earth only rarely. One such is Dr. C.T. Abraham.

‘Soliloquies of a Principal’

Monday, 02 January 2012 00:00 | Author: Little Rock Admin

‘Soliloquies of a Principal’ - Book by Little Rock Principal released

A book by Prof. Mathew C. Ninan, Principal of Little Rock Indian School, Brahmavar was released by Dr. K. Ramnarayan, Vice Chancellor of Manipal University.

The book entitled “Soliloquies of a Principal” is in fact a compendium of select articles on school education written by Prof. Mathew C. Ninan.

Dr. Ramnarayan while releasing the book lauded the efforts of Principal Ninan in penning down his insightful thoughts, which are both timely and timeless. He said they were timely because schools today needed a sense of direction and purpose as outlined in the book. They are timeless because of the enduring value of the thoughts embedded in the book. He also appreciated the ‘tremendous conviction and astounding clarity’ of the author.

Mr James Varghese, Trustee who presided over the programme received the first copy of the book and said Professor Ninan’s commitment to education and his caring attitude towards the staff and students are his most striking qualities. This is how Little Rock became a unique school, the school with a difference.

In his remarks Prof, Ninan said his most important concern about school education has always been the welfare of children. He said Little Rock adopted the slogan “every child matters’ for this reason. Now he wants to propagate the theme “school is for children”. Usually in practice school is for teachers. We need to change this perception, and focus on children. He would be most gratified if the book influences more schools and teachers in this direction.

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