Preamble
The opening of School for a New Academic Year, year after year, every year is often taken as a routine event and/or just a date; and therefore not given its due importance and/or priority in planning for the date/event.
As a continuum of educational and operating practices in the School, it is imperative for the School Leadership to know and understand that Commencement of a New Academic Year is important; it is always new and different; never repetitive; brings its own sets of challenges, year after year, every year.
Therefore, it is necessary that the date/event is planned for in advance and keeping the School’s general and particular requirements and rubrics in mind. It is probably not possible to have an exhaustive list of Action Points to commence a New Academic Year that is good for every School. We have attempted to give hereunder an indicative list of Action Points that must be done and/or ensured in any School.
Action Points
The requisite activities may be categorized as –
1. Prior to School Reopening in the New Academic Year
a) Academic
b) Staff - i) Leaving ii) New iii) Continuing
c) Students - i) Leaving ii) New iii) Continuing
d) Administrative
2. After School Reopening in the New Academic Year
a) Academic b) Administrative
Detailed Action Points
1. Prior to School Reopening in the New Academic Year
a) Academic
Continuum of Prior Year
i) Compilation of Students’ Annual Academic Result
ii) Dispatch of Students’ Annual Academic Result to parents
iii) Review of Academic Result to indentify –
a) Areas of Strength in Faculty and Students
b) Areas of Weakness in Faculty and Students
c) Identify methods to institutionalize the Areas of Strength
d) Identify methods to remove/minimize the Areas of Weakness
Towards the New Year
iv) Finalise the New Students Admission
v) Publish new School List - Class/Section/Name/Sex/Total
vi) Plan and Finalise the School Orientation Program for New Students and their parents
vii) Finalise the New Staff Hiring
viii)Publish new School Team - Name/Subject/Role/Responsibility
ix) Finalise Instruction Program giving –
a) School Periods per Week
b) Teacheràaverage Teaching Periods per Week
c) ClassàSubject/Co-curricularàNumber of Periods
x) Compile the Time Table Blue Print giving both -
a) ClassàSectionàSubjectàTeacheràNumber of Periods
b) Subject DeptàTeacheràClassàSectionàNumber of Periods
xi) Prepare the School Time Table giving both –
a) ClassàSectionàDayàPeriodàSubjectàTeacher
b) TeacheràDayàClassàSectionàPeriodàSubject
xii) Class Teacher List
xiii) School Calendar for the Year duly split into Terms giving all important dates and events
b) Staff
i) Leaving
- Return School Material viz., Educational Aids, Students Work, Teacher Diary, Teacher Resource Material, Library issues, Students Reports etc
- Settle financial accounts
- Return Locker Keys
- Close Electronic and Internet based School ids, if any
ii) New
- Allocate appropriate Buddy from the existing Team
- Induction Program in School Vision and Mission; School Value System; Staff Appraisal Program; School practices etc
- Allocate Staff Room and Locker
- Issue Teacher Resource Material
- Create Electronic and Internet based School Id, if any
iii) Continuing
- Recall Faculty Review after previous year Academic Review to reallocate Class to Teacher(s)
- Plan Teacher Learning Program in the days immediately prior to reopening
- Group Meetings and discussions vis-à-vis Subject Department and particular Class to prepare Academic Material viz., Work Sheets, Learning Tasks, Teaching Tools, Assessment Tasks
c) Students
i) Leaving
- Receive Letter of Withdrawal
- Obtain NOC from requisite School departments
- Settle financial accounts
- Issue Transfer Certificate
- Clearance of Locker
- Impact on House(s) vis-à-vis Sports, Extracurricular, Leadership etc
ii) New
- Complete Admission documentation
- Issue the School Number
- Issue of School Uniform
- Invite for School Orientation Program for New Students and their Parents
iii) Continuing
- Recall Student Review after previous Academic Review to reallocate Section owing to peer pressure, academic needs, peer combination, sex ratio etc
- Issue of Text Books and Stationery for the New Year
d) Administrative
- Plan for adequate furniture and fixtures in Classrooms and Staffrooms for ALL= old + new students and faculty
- Complete Maintenance Schedule
- Complete requisite Repairs and Maintenance
- Tentative Route Plan for School Bus(s) vis-à-vis NEW students and faculty
- Revise Escort Faculty in School Bus(s)
- Upgrade and enhance requisite facilities viz., cafeteria, work stations, equipment etc to cater to the increased number of Students and Staff
2. After School Reopening in the New Academic Year
a) Academic
i) Conduct the School Orientation Program for New Students and their parents
ii) Evaluate New Students for allocation to School House(s) vis-à-vis their proficiency in Sports, Extra Curricular, Leadership etc
iii) Allocate New Students to fill up the vacancy/gaps in School House(s) owing to Leaving Students by Class/Sex/Inter-House School Contest Category and strengths/requirements in Sports, Extra Curricular, Leadership etc
iv) Issue Teacher Time Table
v) Issue Class Time Table to Students
vi) Issue Annual School Calendar
b) Administrative
i) Finalise School Bus Routes after incorporating the needs of New Students
ii) Publish New Bus Routes and Escorts
iii) Observe Students Arrival and Departure for a few days to remove bottlenecks, if any
iv) Revise the above, if required
v) Check for appropriate delivery of services viz, cafeteria, documentation, work stations, equipment etc to ALL including new staff and students
