Monday, 7 October 2013

ST. MARY'S CONVENT SECONDARY HIGH SCHOOL - DEWAS

ST. MARY'S CONVENT SECONDARY SCHOOL - DEWAS
October 2, 2013
While India celebrated the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, fifty five teachers of St. Mary's Convent Secondary School - Dewas, participated in a full day's Value Education Orientation Program 'Management By values' (MBV) that was conducted by AVEC - Mumbai. Sr. Lalita, Principal of the school welcomed the two guest speakers to the school and thanked the teachers for sparing their time, in spite of the national holiday, to participate in the Orientation program.  
Mr. Rochwyn Fernandes, coordinator of AVEC programs, started by invoking the blessings of the Almighty through an interfaith prayer song 'Sarveshaam, swastir bhavatu'.The teachers were also asked to focus on a spiritual moment of meditation that enabled them to slow down, relax and connect with their past experiences of light and shadow. After the meditation, Mr. Fernandes briefed the teachers on the various activities of AVEC during the course of the year and appealed to them to get more involved with AVEC. Fr. Glenford Lowe was then introduced to them.
 'Management By Values' (MBV) is the need of the hour. It transcends the former styles of  Management By Instruction' (MBI) or 'Management By Objectives' (MBO). Fr. Glenford focused on the importance of embracing a new 'perspective change' right from the start. "Yesterday's solutions may not be an answer to the situation of the young people today. Management by values and having the courage to make the necessary value shifts, are the solution for today," he said. The whole program was interactive, spiced with a lot of humour and deep reflective insights too. 
 The whole program focused on the 'World of the Young' today and how their attitudes to life can only be altered if they begin to appreciate Values and make the necessary shift too. In understanding the world of the young, the teachers then focused on their own world of 'Words', their 'lifestyles' and their 'alignment of personal and institutional values'. With the help of a PowerPoint presentation and a creative set of handouts, teachers were able to plot themselves on the 'Brian Hall- Benjamin Tonna Value Map'. It took a lot of introspection to realize one's 'Value consciousness' and perception of one's worldview and how it influences one's lifestyle.
 Four hours of valued time spent on self and understanding of how to transcend life by making the necessary value Shifts. In the end, Mrs. rose proposed the vote of thanks on behalf of the management. A few teachers came forward to write their comments on the AVEC logbook:
The session was beautiful and useful. We felt it touched and made us feel great and made a difference” – Celine Wilson
“Now onwards, I will bring about a ‘Qualitative Change’”- MeenakshiSinha

“The session was really wonderful and touched many hearts and surely will help me to change or shift in my students” - PoojaMotwan
 “Today, I was happy fpr attending this wonderful session” -  Mrs. RekhaSaundattiker
“Thanks a lot for such a great inspirational workshop. Surely it will change our life by the skills we learnt today both ‘Quantitatively and Qualitatively too” – KiranRaghavanshi


At the end of the session, Mrs. Amita Acharya proposed the vote of thanks.