Website
Website : https://www.sjckalimpong.com/

Address
Address : 8 th Mile, Kalimpong, Darjeeling, West Bengal
Contact : +91-3552-260098
Email : sjckalimpong@gmail.com

Admission please visit > https://www.sjckalimpong.com/node/812

A new vista has now opened for the students with the commencement of ISC in the Science and Humanities stream.

Education System
ICSE 

Medium of Instruction
English

St Joseph’s Convent High School is an English medium Catholic Institution under the jurisdiction of the R.C. Bishop of Darjeeling and belonging to the Registered Society of the Cluny Sisters of St Joseph’s of Cluny. The School was established by the Sisters in 1926. It is recognized by the Education Department, West Bengal and is affiliated to the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations, New Delhi.

Although meant primarily for Catholic students the School is open to all irrespective of religion, community.

The aim of the School is the all around development of the students. Care is taken to help each one grow spiritually and aesthetically, morally, physically and academically in a homely atmosphere and in close collaboration with parents. No effort is spared to inculcate values and habits of honesty, integrity and loyalty, of politeness, respect and neatness, regularity, responsibility and diligence.

Character formation, physical and academic excellence are based on the love of God, of dependence on His Grace and His Will and of personal effort as modeled by Jesus Christ. Pupils are expected to do their best to attain that harmonious development which will make them worthy citizens of a great nation sincerely committed to God, home and country.

SCHOOL SECTIONS

Junior school
The Junior School includes classes from Upper Kindergarten to Class 4. The students have a close teacher student relation as education at this level is always based on a loving bond between the teachers and the students to ensure good academic success along with a loving environment. The students of the junior school are encouraged to take part in various activities provided by the school like speech and drama, dancing, singing, music, fancy dress, sports and games. Computer classes with the idea of developing good communicating skills are started from the Junior School. The Junior School is a home of activities wherein many competitions are conducted to make the students learn beyond their books. Opportunity is also provided to these young children to develop talents skills and hobbies.

Senior school
The senior school has about 700 students which begin from class 5 TO 12. The students are prepared to attain academic excellence as well as development in many other fields for St Joseph's Convent believes in the all round development of a child which leads to true education. The senior students are required to take all the listed subjects so that they are prepared to take the ICSE Examination at the end of class 10. A new vista has now opened for the students with the commencement of ISC in the Science and Humanities stream. Together with academic lessons, the school also offers many activities in the Senior School.

Clubs
• Early act
• Guides
• Interactive club of SJC
• LTS
• Science club
• Eco club
• Literary club

Early Act
Mission Statement
The mission of Early ActTM is to promote goodwill, understanding and peace through the active participation of its student members so that with committed citizenship and effective leadership they may improve the quality of life of their school, local and global communities.
• EarlyActTM Teaches
• Caring
• Respect
• Empathy
• Responsibility
• Tolerance
• Citizenship
• Compassion
• Friendship
• Leadership

Description of Early ActTM
EarlyActTM is a school wide Service club for elementary students from ages 5 to 13.It is sponsored by one of the local Rotary clubs in the township in which the school is located.
The mission and operation of EarlyActTM are closely linked to the ideals of Rotary and provide the foundation and natural succession into Interact.

EarlyActTM provides young students the opportunity for gaining an increased awareness and knowledge of their community and the world.
At a young age, all students can easily be encouraged to be caring and helpful. Their minds are open to recognize the dignity and worth of each individual which builds respects for others. EarlyActTM also promotes understanding and the building of friendships among the club members.

EarlyActTM also engages students in character-building activities and prepares them for leadership roles to identity and carry out projects which benefit their school, local and global communities.

Objectives of EarlyActTM
The purpose of EarlyActTM is to provide young students with the opportunities to participate in active citizenship in a culturally diverse democratic society within an interdependent world.

EarlyActTM : Partners in Character Education addresses the following objectives:
1. The students develop committed citizenship and leadership qualities by identifying and taking responsibilities for real life problems within their school, local and global communities.
2. The students realize the importance of respect, dignity and caring for all people by promoting good will and understanding through their active participation at school, local and community levels.
3. The students develop high student achievement by actively participating in various projects to improve the quality of life for their school, local and global communities. They work with the sponsoring Rotary club members as facilitators, mentors and role models.

Interactive Club of SJC
The Interactive club of St. Joseph’s Convent came into existence in the year 2003. Being a branch of Rotary club in educational Institutions the Interact club of St. Joseph’s Convent, Kalimpong has always abided by its aims and objectives.

Charity being its sole motto, the inter-actors of St Joseph’s Convent leaves no stone unturned to execute their duties. And as the saying goes “Charity beings at home“ and the school being the second home to every child, the Interact club of SJC is aiming to develop the spirit of charity among the youth who are the future of the nation. Apart from charity, the Interact club fosters fellowship among the inter-actors. It gives them a platform to acquaint themselves with their age group coming from different social circles and provides an insight to the issues which dominate the minds of the 21st Century youth.

Hence with Charity and fellowship in mind, the Interact club of SJC is enthusiastically moving forward to meet the future challenges of the coming years.

LTS
Forming leaders for tomorrow who join hands with god and people to heal our broken world.
To serve not to be served…
Youth are the strength and the visible promise of a nation and its future. They need a philosophy of life- a reason to live for, a cause to rally around, a vision to spur them on. LTS both challenges and motivates the youth to rise above all odds. It ignites their generosity that sets them off on the path of selfless service. Nurturing their inborn talents and inculcating humanitarian values, LTS brings out the best in them. In the process, the vision of LTS becomes a way of life-for life.

DYNAMICS OF LTS: The movement LTS is the abbreviation of three words- LEADERSHIP, TRAINING and SERVICE

LEADERSHIP: The aim of Leadership Training Service is to identify, affirm and develop leadership qualities in the members. It endeavors to form responsible leaders with a spirit of service, who becomes agents of social change.

TRAINING: Some are born leaders. Not all. Those who are not born leaders need to be trained. LTS provides this training through various programmes and activities such as- orientation Days, weekly meetings, Camps, Social Service Schemes, Study Days, Training Days, Workdays (work for common cause) projects and Art of Prayer.

SERVICE: Leadership calls for loving dedicated and effective service to others. An LTSer is trained from the very beginning to render service to others. To serve, not to be served, is the ideal of the movement.

Historical sketch
Leadership Training service is a youth movement –mainly for students in school and college. It has a vibrant history of four and a half decades, during which it has become part of life for many young people in Bangladesh, Nepal and India. It was begun by youth and even today it is the young people themselves who are the life of the movement.

LTS Legacy
The vision of an organization to help students to develop their personality, promote their leadership qualities, and inculcate in themselves social awareness and social responsibility was originally conceived by a group of students at Goethals’ Memorial School, run by the Christian Brothers, in Kurseong, Darjeeling, West Bengal, India. These students were from different cultural backgrounds. The group had five members – Kamal Singh Arora, Kee Tong Wong, Pranahendra N Mukherjee, G S Liu and N Clement Lee.

These five enthusiastic young students approached Fr Emmanuel M Briffa sj, who was at that time a young Jesuit in training in the neighbouring St Mary’s College. Under the able guidance of Fr Briffa and with the support and blessings of Br Thomas P Fitzpatrick cfc, the Principal their dream became a reality. A new organization was born with the name “Goethals’ Leadership Squad” (GLS) on 2nd July 1959. The motto of GLS was “For God and My Country”. Fr Briffa helped them to write a constitution for GLS. As the Movement began to spread in the neighbouring schools it was renamed ‘God’s Leadership Squad’. A number of young Jesuits in training guided the GLS Units at Goethals’ and other schools in the neighbourhood in its infancy.

In 1961, some of the members from the pioneer group joined St. Xavier College, Kolkata. They formed a GLS Unit there, under the guidance of Fr. Raymond Pilette, SJ. He was instrumental in building up the GLS Unit in Kolkata.

Within a short span of time, with the initiative of a number of dedicated GLS members, many GLS Units sprang up in different parts of India. It was also a time of evolution of the Movement. Some GLS members were dissatisfied by the military flavour of the label ‘Squad’ and some collegians found that the word ‘God’ gave an overly pietistic impression. The Movement was thus renamed “Leaders’ Training Service”(LTS) in January 1965 and later ‘LEADERSHIP TRAINING SERVICE’.Fr. Robert Slattery, SJ, revised the Constitution in 1966, after a detailed consultation with the LTS Unit.

Science club
The Science Club of St Joseph’s Convent, Kalimpong was formed in the year 2003 with 18 members under the guidance and support of Rev Sr Emelda Sherpa, who was the principal during that year.

The motto of the Science Club is “Knowledge is Power”. Keeping this in mind, the Science Club and its members have been actively involved in various activities over the years. The methods adopted by the club for the pursuit of knowledge are more practical in nature than totally dependent on theory. With the objective of making learning fun, the Science Club with its coordinators and members has organized the following activities:
• Excursion to places like Science Centre in Siliguri, The Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park in Darjeeling and Science City, Birla Institute of Technology, Botanical Garden, Indian Museum and Victoria Memorial in Kolkata.
• Visits to educational sites like Science centers’, Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidhyalaya (Darjeeling), Chemical factories, Sericulture centre, Cinchona Plantations, Flower Nurseries etc.
• Seminar during World Health Day where medical resource persons address students on health and hygiene and interact with them.
• Preparation of students every year for the District Level Science Seminar Competition held at Science Centre in Siliguri. So far two students from the school have qualified for the State Level Science Seminar Competition held at Science City, Kolkata.
• Microscopic displays and power point presentations to give visual experience of many dimensions of Biology.
• Board displays are put up on various scientific issues to broaden the knowledge of students.
• Maintaining a medicinal plant garden.
• Organizing fun outdoor games, dance competitions, power point competition and quiz in the school to break the monotony of continuous classes.
• Providing financial help to deserving students to enable them pursue their education.
• Raising funds for the club by organizing canteens on certain days.
At present the Science Club has an outstanding membership of over 500 members. In the coming years, the club members will continue with their efforts to expand knowledge and spread awareness.

Eco club
People today are concerned about the environment, keeping this in mind; the students of St Joseph's Convent formed an Eco-Club in the year 2003. The motto of this club being- 'Green is Clean'. The students organize themselves, under the guidance of the club co-ordinators to learn more about the environment and to help conserve the environment.

The club has an elected Executive Board which comprise of the President, The Vice President, The Secretary, The Treasurer and five members in the advisory Board. The members pay membership fees to help the club meet requirements necessary for its growth.

The green ambassadors of the Eco Club pledge to work to make the environment safe and friendly. The school campus is kept clean and fines are imposed by way of 'Earth Tax' on offenders who pollute the campus. Many competitions are sponsored by the club to enhance the all round development of the students. Social Service plays an important role in the agenda of the Club. Supporting economically underprivileged children is one o the main aims of the Club.

Issues concerning our environment like water management, natural disasters, and pollution are the main concern of the Club. Though the going is sometimes difficult, the energetic members of the Club make it a point to 'save our environment'.

Literary club
The literary club was established in the year 2003, under the guidance of our then Principal, Rev. Sister Emelda Sherpa. The club aspires to develop a culture of love and respect towards all things having literary value. The club also aims to enable its members to become socially conscious citizens by encouraging them to organize, support
and participate in socially uplifting tasks.
Since 2003, the club members along with its co-ordinators have been involved in the following activities:

Organizing essay/ poetry writing competition on international women’s day and sponsoring prizes for the winners
Publishing a leaflet "Josephites voice" in the year 2007
Visiting the old age home/orphanage at 8th mile and sponsoring a week’s supply of essential commodities.
Visiting the animal shelter at Bong Busty and sponsoring a week’s supply of dogs food and biscuits
Visiting an art exhibition held at 'The Himalayan trust for natural history art' at Kalimpong
Field trip to Himalayan mountaineering institute and Pamaja Naidu Himalayan zoological park, Darjeeling.
Organizing a sterilization camp at 12th mile, Kalimpong, during which Dr Pandey (vetenarian) and his team operated on 19 dogs and also gave free anti rabies injection to more than 20 dogs. The club sponsored lunch for the vet and his team
The club also purchased a boom box with the club money to be used during practice for functions The club members raised funds by selling food items on some days of the week
The funds collected by the club is used for making small contributions , to help some deserving underprivileged students; help poor patients with medical expenses' sponsor prizes for interclass, inter house competitions.
Like the previous years, the literary club members advance into the future with optimism and the hope that their efforts make a difference, for after all, "to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield" is what the literary club members always aim for.

Facilities

Music
The corridors and rooms of St Josephs Convent resonate with the sound of music. St Joseph’s Convent has a very rich heritage of producing musical talents.

The students who are interested and talented in music are encouraged to learn at least one instrument from a choice of Piano, Violin, Guitar and Drums. Classes are conducted by qualified music teachers who inculcate in the students the value of music. The school has been conducting Trinity Guildhall (London) Examination for the past six decades or more. The results have always been more than just satisfactory.

Music has always been a forte of the school and the students too benefit largely from these classes. St Joseph’s Convent today has become the local centre for the Trinity Guildhall (London) Examinations.

Library
St Joseph’s Convent can proudly boast of having one of the best equipped libraries in this side of the country. The library provides resource material and references for the school students, staff and other members. The collection of books makes it possible for students to collect resources whenever needed to enhance the total development of a student. The school library houses more than 10,000 collections of books of various categories and subjects.

Boarding school
St Joseph’s Convent provides boarding facilities for children from KG to 12. The extra care and concern required by students who are away from home is ensured by the school. It is no wonder that most of the students regard the school as a home away from home. The school has three different dormitories for the Primary, Middle section and Senior girls.

Sports / games facility
We believe that "A healthy body is home to a healthy mind". St. Joseph's Convent offers various sports/ games facilities to the students. The school has ample space for playground, basketball and Throw ball courts and indoor games facilities.

The school's sports and games facilities encompass

• Basketball
• Throw ball
• Volleyball
• Hockey
• Athletics
• Table Tennis
• Badminton
• Karate

The school encourages the students to participate in all the games. At present, the school holds the record of being the Champions in Basketball, Throw Ball and Volleyball among the AIS Schools of Darjeeling District.

Technology
Constant improvement in this age is of primary concern to the school as we know an institution is not made up of bricks and mortar. Every part of the school has been empowered to make technology play a prominent role in the school. Computers are used by students and the staff to teach computer science and as a resource for educational purposes. Broadband connectivity is available to the students whenever required.

The school's core academic area - the classrooms have recently been updated with "smart boards". Each class has its own Smart board to facilitate modern teaching methods. The school has successfully blended the advantages of higher technology along with the traditional chalk and blackboard teaching.

DISCIPLINE
Rules of the School
1. Enrolment in St Joseph's Convent implies, on the part of the pupils and parents, willingness to comply with the rules and regulations of the School.
2. The School year begins in mid February or little later and ends in November.
3. Date of birth once recorded at admission cannot be changed.
4. Pupils are to be in School at 8:10am punctually. Late arrivals get their School diaries signed by the Headmistress. School closes at 3:00pm.
5. (a) Parents record reasons for their child's lack of punctuality or absences in the Regularity Record section of the School diary with their signatures
(b) Excuse for absence and late attendance should not be made by phone but in writing in the diary.
6. (a) Pupils absent on the first day of a term or absent for five days in succession without permission may have their names removed from the register.
(b) After an illness a pupil must produce a doctor's certificate stating that she is fit is to join School.
7. Parents are expected to co-operate with the School by enforcing regularity, observing only holidays indicated in the diary, they should check the diary regularly for remarks by the teachers regarding academic progress, behaviour, and neglect of home assignments and for the weekly unit Test result.
8. Pupils who are absent from examinations for any reasons whatsoever, will not be re-examined. Marks obtained in the weekly, terminal and final examination will determine promotion. However, no child will be promoted on an incomplete report card, except in the following conditions;-
i. Relevant document have been submitted for reasons of absence.
ii.The pupil concerned has an overall aggregate of 75% in her other tests.
9. The decision of the School authority with regard to promotion is final.
10. Students who fail for two consecutive years cannot remain in the School, as also those who fail in two consecutive classes.
11. Parents/ Guardians must see that their ward gives the same amount of time to study every day whether written homework is set or not. Remarks in the column should be countersigned by parents.
12. The School diary is a personal record of the student. It should be taken to School daily. If lost, it must be replaced. Pupils are themselves responsible for the safe custody of their books and other belongings. Each article should be marked with the pupil's name, class and section.
13. (a) All pupils are to come to School neatly dressed in the School uniform. Jewelry and fancy ornaments are not permitted. (b) Elaborate hair styles are not allowed. Loose flowing hair or pony tails are unacceptable.
14. (a) Pupils may not leave the School premises during the School hours without the written authorization from the Headmistress. (b) Pupils should be on the School compound during recesses.
15. The School is not responsible for any pupil before and after School hours.
16. No books, periodicals or newspapers of an objectionable nature shall be brought into the school.
17. A calendar month's notice is to be given or a month's fees paid before a pupil is withdrawn from the School. A calendar month counts from the first to the end of the month.
18. (a) Any damage done to School property must be replaced or paid for by the pupil concerned. (b) Pupils who show a lack of respect, who neglect studies, damage the good name of the School, or fail in any way to keep the School rules are liable to be dismissed with or without notice. Our School discipline is kind but necessarily firm. Parents/ Guardians are expected to accept, respect and abide by the disciplinary measures taken by the School.
19. Parents are requested not to discuss School matters with any teacher during School hours. Parents, who want information or wish to discuss any problems relating to the School, should contact the Headmistress (not the class teacher) at the appointed time i.e. 3: 00 - 4: 00 pm on School days only. On Sunday and holidays no business matters can be discussed.
20. All fees are to be paid by the 15th of each month. Add Rs. 10/- on all outstation cheques.
21. The School reserves the right to increase fees at time, even during the Scholastic year, if an increment is deemed necessary.
22. English will be spoken at all times on the School premises.
23. Complete silence must be observed in the School Library at all times. All Library books musk be handled with utmost care and returned within the stipulated time.
24. Parents are requested to keep children at home, who feel feverish or otherwise ill, even if it means missing a test.

Foundress - Anne Maria Javouhey 1779-1851
The foundress of this Congregation is blessed Anne Marie Javouhey." May God be Glorified! In all things and everywhere, may His Holy will be done!“ This was the consuming desire of this dynamic woman. She used every ounce of effort, her whole life through, to carry out the mission that she felt was entrusted her by God. A giant of a woman was Anne Marie. No wonder Napoleon called her a GREAT Man! Still today, 150 years after her death, her holiness, her virtues and her dynamic leadership are constantly attracting young girls to this congregation where 4, 000 sisters of every nationality and every time are continuing and developing the works of their foundress.

Thus her wonderful story continues here through the sisters and through us the staff and pupils of St Joseph's Convent, Kalimpong.

History of the foundation of St Joseph's Convent at Kalimpong (extracts from community journals)
The sisters of St Joseph of Cluny came to Kalimpong in 1926 on the invitation of Rev Fr Jules Douinel, the Superior of the Foreign Mission Fathers, who has established a prosperous mission in Pedong His aim to open a mission in Kalimpong was expressed in his letter to the then Mother General Sr Uthille "till now there is not a single Church, Parish or even a priest in Kalimpong". The four pioneer sisters Sr Clare, Sr Marie Therese, Sr Edmund, Sr Teresea arrived from Chandanagar for the new mission field of Kalimpong. Fr Jules Douinel left Pedong mission to work with our sisters to build the Catholic Church in Kalimpong. He had boundless trust in the sisters of St. Joseph of Cluny. He assumed that a grand work awaited them to make Kalimpong a model mission. God indeed blessed the growth and development of the Catholic Church in Kalimpong. While waiting for the completion of the Church building, St Joseph's Convent Chapel served as the parish Church. The arrival of Cluny Sisters was indeed the beginning of the Catholic Church in Kalimpong. St Joseph's Convent was the cradle in which the foundation of Catholic Church was nurtured and flourished.

A boarding school was opened at Kalimpong where three charming Children of 6-7 years were brought to Kalimpong from Kolkata who were the first three boarders in the boarding School here at Kalimpong. St Joseph's Convent was opened in order to cater for the orphan children of the country and also in the form of numerous other works of charity.

Today St. Joseph's Convent has been upgraded and affiliated to the Council for the Indian School Certificate New Delhi. St Joseph's Convent has grown from strength to strength and has flourished into one of the prestigious schools in Kalimpong, highly acclaimed nationally and internationally with 1260 students. In 1962 St Roch's Dispensary was opened to provide care for the sick.

St Agnes primary school was opened mainly for the Christian boys of the locality by Mother Joseph Superior of St Joseph's Convent.
A special school for hearing impaired St. Mary's was formerly opened in Gitdubling in 1964 and shifted later to Kalimpong in 1974. Sr Gabriella Olickal is the pioneer in this mission.
St Anne's hostel began in St Joseph's Convent in 1927, primarily for the destitute children, many of them were brought by the missionary priest after their tours in villages. In 1928, St Philomena Girl's school was established with the aim to give every girl a thorough Christian formation and the assurance of future stability. The school eventually grew to be a prominent High Secondary School which caters for the education of the young girls of Kalimpong and surrounding villages. In course of time it became a seed bed of vocations for the Congregation.
Propelled by the Spirit of our Foundress Blessed Anne Marie Javouhey our pioneer Sisters courageously embraced the challenging mission of reaching out to different terrain, hills and valleys on foot, visiting and catechising the families and providing medical care to the sick and needy. This is to note that our Sisters carried out these apostolates in all the future establishments. Sister’s love and devotion to God enabled them to surmount difficulties and adapt the culture of the local people. The Sisters involvement in the apostolate made them to realize that the constructive upliftment of the poor illiterate people of area meant the future of the local Church and strength of the congregation through education, faith formation and healing ministry proclaiming the Good News of God's love to all without any distinction of caste, colour and creed. This passion for humanity led them to venture to following far off demanding mission stations with the same love and zeal.

School song
Deep in the valley by a swift flowing river
Stands dear St. Joseph's the School we all love
Nestling midst wonders and beauty of nature
Crowned by the sight of the snow high above,
Hold high its name and fame.
Keep the bright torch aflame, true to our motto
"Fidelity and Truth".
When near or far away, whether at work or play,
We'll proudly uphold it an honour to youth.
Chorus
Then give a cheer, Hurrah! No matter who you are
All nations gathered in this hallowed spot.
Let all your hearts rejoice and sing with a happy voice
Long live St. Joseph's in dear Kalimpong.