‘My daughter gave her class 6 final exams in the Principal’s office. Apeejay, Rama Mandi ensured her year isn’t wasted on health grounds’

Punam Ohri is a Social Science teacher in a government school in Jalandhar while her husband Sanjeev Ohri works for a private firm. They are proud parents of Ananya Ohri, a class 8 student of Apeejay School, Rama Mandi, Jalandhar. In an interview, Punam says her daughter has made terrific progress in both the academic and non-academic domains.

What made you pick Apeejay?

Ananya studied in Trillium School till class 2. After that, I decided to shift Ananya to a school that’s in the immediate vicinity of my home. I sought the opinion of the school Principal for the same. She advised me to pick Apeejay as the school enjoys an excellent reputation and has a good pupil-teacher ratio. This will ensure personalised attention for my child. I also did my homework and got great feedback on Apeejay. Without further ado, I got Ananya enrolled in class 3 at  Apeejay.

How has the school contributed to the growth of your child?

Ananya’s reading and writing skills have improved immensely. She is also doing well in the non-academic sphere. The school encourages students to participate in some sort of extracurricular activity. Before the school assembly there’s an activity period where students have to choose an extra-curricular activity of their interest. As a result, Ananya has made superb progress in skating. She has also taken part in various dance competitions and won prizes. I also commend the school for supporting my child in times of crisis. Earlier, Ananya had to battle an ear infection for a prolonged period, but she received full support from the teachers. When her condition got worse, I even mooted the idea to the then school Principal, Ms. Aarti Shorey Bhat, of dropping Anaya from the school for some time. Ms. Aarti said there’s no need for it as the school will go the extra mile to ensure that Ananya’s studies are not hampered. As a result, she gave her class 6 final exams in the Principal’s office. I can’t thank Ms. Aarti enough, who is now the Vice-Principal, for ensuring that Ananya’s year is not wasted. Even the current school Principal, Ms. Sangeeta Nistandra, is extremely motivating and inspiring. I can’t forget her first-ever interaction with parents where she introduced herself. It was an informal interaction filled with exciting activities involving parents and their children.

How has the school ensured seamless online learning for students in the pandemic?

The teachers are giving their best despite the limitations of online learning. Too much screen-time can ruin the eyesight of children. That’s why, during a parent-teacher meeting, I made a suggestion to Ananya’s class teacher to encourage students to regularly splash their eyes with water and use anti-glare lenses while taking classes. I am glad my suggestions were accepted. In my school, it took us around 20 days to start online classes after the lockdown was imposed, whereas in Apeejay the classes resumed flawlessly from day one of lockdown. The school is also making optimum use of Moodle, an E-learning tool. All kinds of learning material including videos are effortlessly shared on Moodle. Even exams are conducted on the platform without a hitch.  

“Apart from academics, Apeejay gives special attention to extra-curricular activities. I believe too much focus on academics makes students rote learners and stifles their holistic development. The teachers of Apeejay are excellent too. You get an instant reply from them even if you get in touch with them at odd hours.”

–Punam Ohri