LANDMARK -- 2:

A SCHOOL CALENDAR THAT EDUCATES ALL

BY P S SUNDAR

When St Joseph’s Boys’ Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School (state Board) and St Joseph’s Academy (ICSE and ISC) in Coonoor re-opened on Monday after a month-long winter vacation covering Christmas, New Year and Pongal, the Principal Bro Naveen Francis thrilled all by releasing a thematic wall calendar for 2019 for the school.

The huge calendar measuring 28 inches long and 19 inches wide on glossy paper is on the theme “Hill Stations of India”.

Thus, each page highlights one hill station for each month.   For the 12 months, the calendar focuses on Ooty, Kodaikanal, Dalhousie (Himachal Pradesh), Gulmarg (J & K), Darjeeling (West Bengal), Mussoorie Uttarakhand), Munnar (Kerala), Coorg (Karnataka), Gangtok (Sikkim), Matheran (Maharashtra), Tawang (Arunachal Pradesh) and Mount Abu (Rajasthan).

There is a large colour photo of the relevant hill station on the page concerned.  Below each photo, details of the hill station including the elevation, location geographical and historical importance, nearby places and ethnicity of the indigenous population are given. 

A separate box highlights how to reach that hill station, nearest airport, railway station, bus stand as also major picnic spots in and around the station with a map indication.

Collectively, the calendar serves as an encyclopaedia with visuals on each hill station of the country which adds value to the general knowledge of not only the students but the parents and all others who view the calendar.

“We have added on each page a highlight with photos of students who have brought laurels to us and The Nilgiris.  Titled ‘St Joseph’s young achievers’, this segment covers sports, games, art, design, debate, quiz and philanthropy.  Besides crediting the achievers for their contribution, it motivates other students to scale new heights”, Bro Naveen told me. 

The 131 year history covering the birth and growth of the school has also been documented in ‘Down the Memory Lane’ section.

(Response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com)