GP Army School adds greenery to its sprawling campus - courtesy NGO-"Nizhal"

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On 11/10/2009 Sunday morning by 9 am - Golden Palm Army School hosted the volunteers from NGO-"Nizhal" - in their effort to plant 500 tree-saplings, to add greenery to its environ. The student volunteers & staff under the active leadership of Mrs UMA CHANDRASEKARAN, Principal - participated with gusto and planted tree saplings - hand picked by Ms Shoba Menon, Trustee of "Nizhal", that stresses the IMPORTANCE of trees. Nizhal's theme is to create awareness among youngsters about the importance of trees to conserve the ecosystem and their importance in climate change.

Nizhal's activities include planting saplings, taking care of grown trees, conducting awareness programs in schools etc. The sprawling campus of GPAS would be adorned by various precious and indegenous trees - extended to it by NIZHAL. Over the period of time, NIZHAL would plant 500+ trees. The students were briefed about the importance of trees and their contribution to the ECO system, before the plantation drive by an eminent Horticulturist Mr. Hareesh.

Indepence Day-2009 at Golden Palm Army School, Nandambakkam, Chennai-600089

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• On 15/8/2009, Golden Palm Army School, Nandambakkam, Chennai-600089 celebrated its maiden Independence Day Celebrations with all reverence and PATRIOTISM, in a humble but IMPRESSIVE fashion.
• The Celebrations witnessed an impressive ASSEMBLY of Students, Teachers & Parents, who stood to attention during the sombre Flag Hoisting, by the Chief Guest, Col. Hussain, representing Area HQ, ATNKK Area.
• A smart pupil leader Hensel of Class-VII, lead the Guest, in a slow march to the Flag Mast and to clock-work-precision, the Flag was unfurled and it started its colourful fluttering, for the 1st time in the GP Army School!
  
• It was a proud moment for all those who had gathered over there.
• Just in the next few minutes, the school assembled at the stadium inside and witnessed depiction of the Great Indian Freedom Movement.
• The highlight was that ALL of the compereing being done by some of the pupil themselves!!
  
• A pupil, gave a smart speech elaborating the pain and efforts taken by the great leaders
• The Function came to a close with the singing of the NATIONAL ANTHEM by everyone.
• Jai-Hind!
  

Uma Chandrasekarn/Principal/GP Army School/Chennai-600089

http://www.educationworldonline.net/index.php/page-article-choice-more-id-1886

New army school principal

The Indian army, which boasts its own 123 schools countrywide, inaugurated its first primary-secondary school — The Golden Palm Army School (GPAS) — in the port city of Chennai on May 26, to educate children of serving army officers, as also grandchildren of ex-servicemen. The new school is expected to end the uphill struggle faced by army personnel in getting their children admitted into the Central government promoted Kendriya Vidyalaya (KV) schools — the first choice of defence services officer corps. The 981 KVs across the country were directed to restrict student intake per class (35 in primary and 40 in the secondary) by the Central government earlier this year.

Located in Nandambakkam, a suburb of Chennai, the CBSE-affiliated GPAS was inaugurated on July 6 as a regimental school with a complement of 15 teachers offering instruction to children enroled in classes I-VII, and will be handed over to the Army Welfare and Education Society in 2010. Built at a project cost of Rs.8.91 crore, the school will give admission priority to children of defence officers, but has reserved 20 percent of its 1,800 capacity for children of civilians. A modestly priced fee structure for different ranks of army personnel has been fixed, though civilians are required to pay slightly more as tuition fees. Admissions are strictly merit-based.

“Our objective is to promote all-round development of children by according equal emphasis to academics, sports and extra-curricular activities. We want to mould students into disciplined, but confident youngsters who display exemplary conduct within and beyond the school campus. A host of co-curricular and extra-curricular activities have been integrated into the curri-culum. We intend to provide a strong academic foundation through child-centric, activity-oriented pedagogy,” says Uma Chandrasekaran, principal of GPAS. An alumna of Madras and Annamalai universities, Chandra-sekaran brings 20 years of teaching and administrative experience in schools affiliated with differing exam boards in the city. Prior to her current appoint-ment, she served as the principal of the CBSE affiliated Sri Narayana Mission School, Chennai.

In accordance with Indian Army tradition, the GPAS management committee comprising distinguished army officers has spared no efforts in equipping the country’s newest army school with excellent infrastructure. Spread over eight acres, GPAS offers 45 well-ventilated classrooms; separate libraries for primary and secondary schools with the secondary school library stocked with over 7,500 books and periodicals; and two well-equipped laboratories for physics, chemistry, biology and computer science. Inevitably, sports education has been given prime importance with the school equipped with three volleyball, two badminton, and three basketball courts, a cricket field and two football grounds. Special coaching is offered to students depending on their interest and aptitude.

In its inaugural year, GPAS has admitted a first batch of 300 students in classes I-VII. Institution development plans include addition of one class every year until GPAS grows into a full- fledged senior secondary school. “Our efforts will be directed towards growing in terms of school strength, excelling in sports, academics and extra-curricular activities and inculcating discipline and moral values in our students to make them model citizens of tomorrow,” says Chandrasekaran.

God speed!

Hemalatha Raghupathi (Chennai)