AVEC Mumbai

ST. ANTHONY’S HIGH SCHOOL, BYCULLA: TEACHERS’ ORIENTATION PROGRAM

March 2, 2012: A three hour Value Based Teachers’ Orientation Program was organized today for thirty five Teachers of St. Anthony’s High School, Byculla. The Principal, Sister Maria Selvam introduced the guest speakers and a floral bouquet was presented to each speaker. The teachers were in for a new experience and it could be seen from their expectant eyes.

 Mr. Rochwyn Fernandes began the session with a prayer song that brought home the message that God’s presence is everywhere. Through a silent breathing exercise he helped the teachers to appreciate the gift of life and inner peace. He then explained briefly the works undertaken by the AVEC to promote Value Education in the schools affiliated to the Archdiocesan Board of Education.

 Fr. Glenford Lowe invited the teachers to be ready for a ‘mind shift’ process. “Unless there is a perspective change, a procedural change will never happen,” he emphasized. Going through a list of Teachers’ assumptions, he clarified the need for a ‘New way of being an Educator today in the world of the student’.

 After the break, through a lot of group work and interactive reflection moments, he brought home the need for a greater commitment to their vocation as Educators. Your personal resource is most needed in commitment. Without the proper mindset and a learner-heart-attitude, levels of commitment will be shallow and passing. A PowerPoint presentation summed it all.

  Ms. Victoria Lewis, proposed the word of thanks on behalf of the School Management and Teachers. She summed it well in these words: “On behalf of the school Principal and the Staff, I express my gratitude to Fr. Glenn and Mr. Rochwyn for conducting this Value Education session teaching us how to achieve academic excellence by enabling our students to increase in all dimensions and to see beyond what we see with a renewed mind and a big heart. This, we can achieve only by a proper paradigm shift accompanied by a paradigm enlargement. In this way, we can work in the ‘rhythmic way’. You challenged us not to be ‘a baggage to the school’ and to make the students become more responsive to life’s journey. It was really a lively and lovely session and we wish you good health to conduct many more sessions and make it a vibrant one.”

 Mrs. Annie G. Pereira had these words of appreciation written in the AVEC Appreciation Log book: “The session was really excellent and an enriching experience one, by which at least, we surely and definitely try to put into practice and make it a reality. In this stressful life of Mumbai, when we get some opportunity, to remind and enrich our minds, we definitely consider ourselves to be lucky.”

Thank you to all the Teachers and management of St. Anthony's High School for this wonderful opportunity to share our time and resource with you. We wish you all the best and assure you of our prayers for a meaningful and committed teaching process ahead of you.