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The
B.V.S. Montessori started functioning sometime during Mr. Behram
Rustomjee's Principalship 1946-1965. There are no records of the
official start date. The Montessori was previously held in the current
Drawing Room hall. The current Montessori Hall was dedicated to
the loving memory of Navajbai R. Sukhia by her son the Late Khan
Bahadur Jehangir R. Sukhia who died in Germany on 1st October 1958.
The building commenced its construction on 24th January 1959. Foundation
stone was laid on 27th April 1960 and opened its doors on 7th October
1961 by Gulzerene N. Dastur.
Mrs. Freny Mody was the head of the Montessori in its early years
and was supported by teachers like Mrs. Meher Engineer, Mrs. Gool
Rustomjee, Mrs. Pouruchisti Bharucha, Miss Meshmime Dubash, Mrs.
Goolie Thanewall and Mrs. Meher Khambatta. |
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The Montessori is open for Parsi boys and girls from the age of
2 ½ to 5 ½. It is based on the curriculum of Madame
Montessori who personally visited the B.V.S. school and gave guidance
to the teachers.
The Montessori children are divided in three sections. When little
children come to the B.V.S. we gather them in our hearts with
open arms and with hopes and aspirations for their future. A child
entering school leaves a smaller social group of a family to enter
a much wider group where they have to make adjustments in order
to work and live with others - we call it "normalized reception".
This is no small task and it's remarkable how the little children,
within a day or two, make themselves "at home" in their
new surroundings.
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Jamshed Nasserwanji welcoming Madame Montessori to the B.V.S.
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directress is the most important part of the "Environment".
She is the child's true friend and guide. Everything in the classroom
is within their reach - things that they can touch, feel and experiment
upon. The directress presents "practical Life Exercises".
Sweeping, dusting, dressing, brushing, arranging flowers and a score
of other exercises based on improving motor skills. The little ones
indulge in art, music, handwork, writing few letters of the alphabet,
all started at the tender age of 2 ½.
Children
at this age love to imitate. All along each activity helps the
co-ordination of a child's movement and gives them the confidence
to move on to the next step of growing. Specially designed Arithmetic
apparatus, material for Geography, Geometry, Nature Study and
Language - are not only fascinating but lead the child on from
one activity into another - exploring and again exploring - until
they are satisfied. The results are amazing. A child that comes
to school bursts into writing at the age of four and counts in
thousands by the time he is five, besides knowing so much about
Geometry, Nature Study and Geography.
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Today
Mrs. Meher Khambatta heads the Montessori with the capable backing
of Mrs. Jasmine Karanjia, Mrs. Simeen Virji, Mrs. Shireen Gandevia
and Arif Bharoocha our music teacher. These are the teachers that
lay the foundation for our children, so that one-day they can play
a part as true citizens of this country and of the world. |
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