Media Release
Mangaluru, Jun 5: The academic year 2024-2025 at Lourdes Central School commenced on May 27, with invoking God’s blessings.
The outgoing principal, Fr Robert D’Souza extended a warm welcome to Dr John Baptist Saldanha, manager of LCS and Fr Johnson L Sequeira the newly appointed principal alongside the entire staff. Fr Robert graciously introduced Fr Johnson and symbolically passed on the mantle with flowers and a shawl, who, in turn, shared his visionary aspirations, urging the staff to uphold the school's esteemed legacy for its continued glory.
Acknowledging Fr Robert's nine years of dedicated service, the manager welcomed the new principal, encouraging ongoing growth with renewed vigour. Addressing the teaching fraternity, he outlined his expectations for the academic year 2024-25, urging the staff to engage in continuous professional development through various courses and to collaborate as a cohesive team for the holistic development of students and the advancement of the institution. Emphasizing on the positive attitude and fostering healthy relationships within the Lourdite family, he announced the introduction of modern subjects such as Artificial Intelligence, Coding, Python, and Robotics to equip students for the challenges of the contemporary world.
The session continued with vice principal Belita Mascarenhas and Anita Thomas elucidating the rules and regulations of the school for the academic year 2024-25.
Furthermore, a CBSE COE training programme featuring 'Cyber Safety and Security' was conducted on May 28, by the resource experts Anuradha Shivaram and Suresh M Mahalingapur. Ms Anuradha addressed Cyber Ethics, Digital Property Rights, Plagiarism, and strategies for handling common emotional and behavioural issues in children, emphasizing the use of apps like PRASHAST and SWAYAM. She also highlighted the importance of protecting against Cyber stalking. Suresh M Mahalingapur led a session on Cyber Security, covering topics such as bank fraud, cybercrime, cyber bullying, phishing, and identity theft. The session concluded with group activities, encouraging teachers to share their views on case studies related to the topic.
On May 29, a session on 'Behaviour Management and Effective Teaching Methods' aimed to enhance skills in classroom management, was facilitated by Jaya Kapoor from Rathna Sagar Publication Limited. Capoor emphasized fostering various 21st century skills among students and the necessity of behaviour management, elaborating on effective strategies.
The staff enrichment programme on May 30, focused on 'Classroom Management and Inclusive Education', with Gita Krishnan, an esteemed personality from Saraswati Publication Limited, specialized in English literature and teacher development. Krishnan provided valuable insights, emphasizing the importance of creating a peaceful classroom environment, building positive relationships with students, and implementing innovative methods to engage all learners.
Overall, these sessions offered invaluable insights to 60 teachers who actively participated to enrich their knowledge and the teaching-learning process. Principal Fr Johnson Sequeira delivered the keynote address each morning and honoured all the resource experts. The vice principals’ presence motivated the teachers to give their 100%. The programme on all four days commenced with prayer and a welcome address, and concluded with expressions of gratitude from the staff.
The unwavering dedication of Harshitha Shetty, in charge of the staff enrichment programme from May 27 to May 30, played a pivotal role in its remarkable success. Principals Fr Robert D’Souza and Fr Johnson Sequeira were thanked for their tireless efforts in planning programmes that enhance the professional development of the teachers.