Website
Website : ndadarjeeling.com

Address
Address : West Point, Gandhi Road, Darjeeling PIN 734101 West Bengal
Contact : 91 738-4245-547
Email : info@ndadarjeeling.com / academynotredame@gmail.com

Notre Dame Academy Darjeeling is affiliated to Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), India’s most acceptable and comprehensive board of education and our curriculum adheres to the National Curriculum Framework 2005 (NCF 2005) and the CBSE curriculum. It is a child centred and holistic education programme that prepares students for college life and beyond. We follow a holistic approach to learning using innovative methods to develop both Disciplinary and Interdisciplinary understanding. In addition to Academic Excellence, it encourages independent learning, inquiry, risk taking, caring, open-mindedness and intercultural understanding. We strive to adapt and innovate methods to achieve academic excellence in conformity with psychological, sociological and pedagogical principles.

Details of Curriculum (CBSE)
The school has annual / term-wise written curriculum plans for all subjects. The curriculum
• Shows alignment to national policies / framework and CBSE guidelines across all subjects.
• Gives evidence of both short term and long term planning. Balanced time allocation to different subjects/ aspects has been made
• Plan is detailed and includes specific suggestions of teaching strategies, resources and assessment procedures for all aspects – cognitive, social, emotional and health and for all levels.
• Progresses sequentially from one level to another, both in terms of content and skills in all subject areas, ensuring no learning gaps.
• Incorporates suggestions for adaption of instructional and assessment strategies to cater to varying needs and styles of learners.
• Plan is student-centered and reflects awareness of progressive educational ideas and pedagogical practices.
acknowledges the inter-disciplinary nature of learning and mentions overlapping-related concepts and suggests common activities across subjects.
• Guides teachers, in a focused manner, to incorporate teaching methodologies that encourage problem solving, decision making, independent and critical thinking (soft skills).
• Has a systematic procedure to ensure that the curriculum is implemented in the planned manner. responsibilities and time lines for the implementation of the different aspects of the curriculum are clearly indicated.
• Definite procedures are in operation for review and monitoring of the curriculum implementation.
• Regular staff meetings are held for the evaluation, assessment and implementation of the teaching learning process.

Admission
Admission Enquiry is entertained from 2nd week of January.
Admissions Class 1 - Class 9
Procedure: Application can be submitted from mid-March in the School Administrative Office

Primary Section – For Class 1 to Class 5 and
Senior Section - For Class 6 to Class 9. The admissions are based on availability of seats. No
admissions are entertained during the session.

Admissions: - Class 11
Procedure: Admission procedure begins only after the CBSE board results of class 10th are declared.
Forms are available only after the Board results.

Our guiding principles are as follows:
Teaching and learning to shift away from rote methods
Curriculum to be enriched enough to go beyond textbooks
Teach less to learn more
Opportunities to be created to enhance the ability of children to link learned knowledge to life outside the school
Examinations to be more flexible and integrated with classroom life
Classroom experience is directed towards becoming good citizens with a sense of equality and compassion
Communication is one of the important facets of a child development. Learning different languages and gaining self-belief by stage performances adds in becoming an effective communicator.
We enable our students to acquire knowledge, develop confidence and ability to assess his /her personal strengths and weaknesses and be realistic in making appropriate career choices for further education and employment.

Our vision
Impelled by Jesus Christ and His mission and our rich educational heritage, we provide a Catholic Christian environment of educational excellence for the transformation of individuals and society.

Mission statement of education
We, Notre Dame Educators of Our Lady of the Assumption Province dedicate ourselves in the charismatic Spirit of St Julie and Sister Mary Aloysia to lead others in Province
The Transformation of Society
Our Respect for all Creation
Our Trust in the Goodness of God
So that all might experience life in its fullness.

Educational Vision Statement
Impelled by Jesus Christ and His mission and our rich educational heritage, we provide a Catholic Christian environment of educational excellence for the transformation of individuals and society. We form persons who are skilled and committed to journey together in hope as witnesses and catalysts for the responsible care of all God’s creation and for justice and peace, especially for those on the margins of society.

Infrastructure
• Canteen Library
• IT labs
• Julie Hall
• Lab
• Language lab
• Physics
• Safety and security
• Smart class
• Transport

Physics
A well-equipped and spacious Physics lab is accessible to all students up to class 10. With the minimum capacity of 40-45 students, the lab is well lit and has a darkroom to perform all types of activities. The students, under the guidance of their Physics teacher and Lab Assistants, perform a range of experiments to grab a better understanding of their lessons.

Chemistry
The school provides a properly ventilated Chemistry lab to take care of all the needs of the students to learn Chemistry up to class 10. Students can perform a variety of experiments in groups of maximum 40 students. The lab is equipped with lockers, reagent bottles, shelves, various chemicals and reagents, distilled water etc. A storage room well stocked with chemicals, apparatus and a number of charts required for different classes are provided where students perform various activities under the expert supervision of the lab assistant and the Chemistry teacher.

Biology
The school has a well maintained and efficient Biology lab with a number of specimens according to different phylum, permanent slides, three-dimensional models, charts and compound microscopes have been provided. The students, in groups of a minimum of 40, can perform various experiments under the knowledgeable guidance of the Biology teacher and the lab assistant, and make their theoretical lessons all the more fruitful with hands-on experiment.

Math
The school has a well maintained Maths lab where a lot of three dimensional models have been provided to impart better understanding of the lessons taught in the class room. The lab is provided with all equipments and charts so that the concepts gathered in the class room can be verified and practically implemented in everyday life.

Beyond classroom
Holistic Education
Notre Dame Academy Darjeeling strives to achieve the best academic standards in the world and its students have access to the finest environment and facilities for drawing out and maximizing their best potential. Notre Dame Academy Darjeeling provides a robust Holistic Education which helps our students to develop as critical thinkers, problem-solvers, and next generation innovators. With Holistic Education we integrate concepts which are usually taught as separate subjects in different classes and emphasize the application of knowledge to real life situations. We have robotics and tinkering labs to facilitate learning of students.

Music & Dance
Drama and music are an important part of the Arts curriculum. Students are trained to present scripted and improvised dramas in response to a range of stimuli. A lively music department ranging from guitars to keyboards is on the ground floor. There are classroom practices as well as smaller group practices on instrumental lessons. In addition to classroom music lessons, students have many opportunities for extended curriculum activities including lessons on Keyboard and guitar performing in assemblies, concerts, harvest festivals, multi-religious festivals and various competitions.

Notre Dame Academy Darjeeling is committed at developing confident, well rounded students with capabilities and the spirit to reach for the stars. The curriculum provides a rich variety of co-curricular activities, which we consider not extra but an ESSENTIAL part of a child’s education.

We also encourage our students to participate in different social initiatives and learn about the Indian ethos.

Excellence in Sports
We believe that Sports plays an important role in the life of a child. The qualities of leadership, teamwork and sporting spirit are learned on the sports field. As sports play a major role in child’s development, every child at Notre Dame Academy Darjeeling is encouraged to take up a sport being given a vast choice including Cricket, Football, Volleyball, Badminton, Table Tennis, Chess and much more.

Art & Craft
Apart from drawing and painting students are also encouraged to participate in other art and craft activities which include pottery, quilling, handmade paper, recycling of paper, cotton spinning, weaving etc. The arts and crafts rooms are well equipped to handle activities related to Indian traditions and culture. Students learn to appreciate art and playfully engage in colours and creativity.

The school has been very active in participating in various interschool sports meet. NDA has bagged several “overall championships” in various sports events which reflect that apart from academics students are excelling in co-curricular activities too.

A playing field is used for playing sports and games. Our playing ground is wide and well planned without any obstruction. A large playground with large dimensions is ideal for all games. Our school ground is well equipped with basket ball, hand ball, volley ball and long jump pits. We also have other sports activities like aerobics, yoga, karate, skating, and chess and students are well trained by professionals. Rhythmic and general gymnastics form a major part of our physical education activities.

Trips and excursions
Annual excursion is organized by the school every academic session. The school organizes visits to various places of historical importance, museums etc to enrich the students and to take learning beyond the classroom.

Travel expands students’ horizons and school life is complemented positively by the fun and frolic of educational tours and excursions. These trips are customized to facilitate the students to know and understand the multicultural world. A host of activities are undertaken as a part of trips which act as a catalyst to think out of the box and broaden the outlook. The trips are meticulously planned with all details to add fun and enthusiasm while taking care of the safety aspects.

Examination System
Examination is an essential component of our education system. The reason is quite obvious. When children grow up, they have to prove their learning level and their academic work by doing well in different competitive examinations. We don’t want our children to suffer then and therefore we assess the students’ preparation level through examination.

The first exam is conducted in June and second examination in December.

Recapitulation Test
Prior to these examinations recapitulation tests are conducted. On the basis of these recapitulation tests the children’s formative assessment is prepared. Formative assessment is also based on the child’s conduct, communication and participation in the class. The child’s performance in co-academic activities is also taken into consideration for preparing formative assessment of the child.

Take Home Sessions
The team of Notre Dame Academy Darjeeling owns all the students that are studying at the school and therefore complete handholding is provided to the children before their recapitulation tests as well as during their examination. Children are prepared for the recapitulation test at the school. Two preparation periods are allocated to the preparation of each recapitulation test and similarly before each paper during the examination, eight hours are spent on the preparation of every paper. Thorough revision is conducted in the class by the teacher and student gets benefitted with that. These are take home sessions. Students get this feel that they are preparing under the supervision of the subject teacher. This kind of practice keeps the children stress free because they get instant solution to their problem that they have in any subject.

About us Notre Dame Academy, Darjeeling, established in 1985, is a Catholic Institution managed by the Patna Notre Dame Sisters Society. Notre Dame Academy traces its origin to its spiritual mother, St Julie Billiart of France, who founded the Congregation of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in 1804.

Her charismatic spirit of finding God’s goodness in everything was handed over to Sisters Aloysia Wolbring and Ignatia, who instituted the Congregation of the Sisters of Notre Dame in Coesfeld, Germany, in 1850. Notre Dame has established foundations throughout the world. The institution gives witness to God’s love by involvement in various educational, social and medical services in Germany, Italy, Brazil, England, Holland, US, South America, Indonesia, India, Korea, Papua New Guinea, Africa, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Vietnam, Peru Philippines, and China.

The first Notre Dame School in India was founded in Jamalpur, Bihar, in 1950. Today, Notre Dame Institutions are found in the states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, West Bengal, Delhi, Jammu & Kashmir, Assam, Kerala, Maharashtra, Telangana and Odisha.

The aim of Notre Dame Education is to train young people for unselfish leadership so that the students we educate will be able to change the oppressive structures of society by standing for justice and human rights, they are ‘’to assist their fellow citizens in directing their lives to God in faith by helping, healing, reconciling, and taking a firm stand on moral principles of honesty, integrity, hard work and freedom’.

The parents and guardians are expected to be active participants in training their children in moral and spiritual values which the school tries to foster:
Faith in God
A sense of community
Conscientization towards justice and equality

Academic Values
Value Education, Yoga and Physical Education are given importance in the school curriculum.

Mother Mary
Notre Dame means Our Lady - Mother Mary in French. The Blessed Virgin Mary is the Patroness of Notre Dame Institutions. Mary, Our Mother, Mother of all humanity, we entrust our school, our children, our staff, our parents and all that we have and aspire to, unto your care.