The Pre-Primary Centre headed by the Headmistress Mrs. Nirmala Thomas functions
as an independent wing, adjacent to St. Thomas Residential School. The
Centre has a very congenial atmosphere for the healthy and happy development of
children by means of the playway method. It serves as a common platform for
admission to all three schools under the Mar Thoma Church Educational Society.
There are 16 divisions with a total strength of 700 in PPI and PPII together.
The students seeking admission to PPI and PP II should complete 3 years
and 6 months and 4 years and 6 months respectively by June. The little ones
thrive well in an atmosphere of tender care and attention provided by the
teachers.
Working hours
PP II 9.25 am to 2.30 pm.
PP I 9.25 am to 12.30 pm.
Visiting time for the parents: 2.30 pm - 3.30 pm.
Curriculum
Emphasis is laid on oral work. Children are given the opportunities to explore
and experience the environment. An exclusive computer lab for the pre-primary
children enables the small children to learn and understand concepts with hands
on experience. Classroom learning is reinforced by means of the visual
electronic media.
The curriculum comes as an attractive package in which the academic lessons are
interfaced with art, craft, music, sports and even picnics so as to stimulate
the interests of the tiny tots. From this year onwards, the students of PPI
have the unique privilege of learning from the text books compiled by their own
teachers. The PPI and PPII children (those who stay back after class hours) can
have special music and dance coaching from 1.20 pm to 2.30 pm.
Evaluation
Teachers assess the children in both scholastic and non-scholastic areas daily
and reports are sent to the parents twice a year. Formal examinations are
not conducted. No grades/ranks are given. Promotion is based on the overall
progress of the child.
Library
There is a library exclusively for the pre-primary children.
Other facilities
There is an indoor playroom which is well furnished with toys meant for the
development of mental abilities like the co-ordination of muscles, and learning
and differentiating shapes and colours. Craft work helps to develop the
locomotive skills.
Health Card System
Health cards are maintained for the PPI students on the basis of a
comprehensive checkup by specialists.
Celebrations and Talent Display
The children take part in various celebrations during the course of the year.
The hidden talents of the children are exposed and developed by the teachers.
All the children are motivated to take part in the talent display programme
whereby they get rid of stage fright. This is not a competition, so it is only
the the participation of the children that counts.
Parent- Teacher Interaction
In order to foster a healthy parent-teacher relationship, the parents meet the
class teacher at the end of each term.
Staff
The total number of teachers is 19 including the Headmistress, Music teacher and
Computer teacher. During the first two weeks of the academic year, the teachers
reach the school sufficiently early to receive the children.
Faculty Improvement Programme
Every month (from May to March) workshops led by resource persons are conducted
in the school. Teachers also attend various seminars and workshops throughout
the year.
Conveyance
An efficient transportation system operates to take the students to and from the
school punctually and comfortably. Buses ply 22 different routes making
St. Thomas accessible to students from every part of the city and its suburbs.
Apart from these, 3 buses are scheduled to operate at noon time for the
convenience of the nursery children.
Ayahs
Apart from cleaning the classrooms and the surroundings, the ayahs remain in the
park when the children are at play. Besides this, the ayahs are allotted duties
in the park before and after class hours, in front of the main gate of the
PP section to receive the children, and also in the nursery trip buses.
They also escort the children from and to the bus bay.