April 2025
Drawing competition
Every child is an artist, and keeping this in mind, we organize a sit-and-draw competition every year. This time, we added an exciting twist by changing the venue to encourage our young minds to interact more with nature and experience a new environment—one that would inspire their creativity beyond the classroom.
Instead of holding the competition within the school premises, we chose three unique locations across Darjeeling. Our senior students from Classes 9 and 10 showcased their artistic talent at the Darjeeling Railway Station, capturing the essence of the bustling arena. The sub-junior group, Classes 7 and 8, found inspiration at Keventers near Chowrasta, where they painted their imagination while observing the beautiful murals displayed outside the café. Meanwhile, our junior participants from Classes 5 and 6 sketched near the Bhanu Bhakta statue at Chowrasta, expressing their creativity in a serene setting.
Overall, it was a wonderful and enriching day for the entire St. Anthony’s family—students and teachers alike. What made it even more special was that it coincided with our school’s 15th anniversary! Celebrating this milestone with such a meaningful activity made the day even more memorable.
March 2025
Green Friday
The Green Friday Drive at St. Anthony’s School is a commendable initiative that not only promotes environmental cleanliness but also fosters a sense of responsibility and community involvement among students. By engaging students from Classes I to VIII in cleaning the neighborhood every Friday, the school is effectively teaching young minds the value of maintaining a clean and healthy environment. This hands-on approach helps students understand the direct impact of their actions on their surroundings and encourages them to take ownership of their role in preserving the planet.
The initiative, which began in 2012 and continues to this day, highlights the school’s commitment to sustainability and environmental education. By integrating such activities into the school curriculum, St. Anthony’s is ensuring that students grow up with a strong environmental ethic, which is crucial for the future of our planet.
The slogan „Clean Environment, Healthy Environment“ perfectly encapsulates the essence of the Green Friday Drive. A clean environment is indeed a healthy one, as it reduces pollution, prevents the spread of diseases, and enhances the overall quality of life. Through this initiative, students are not only contributing to a cleaner neighborhood but are also learning valuable life lessons about teamwork, responsibility, and the importance of environmental
Let’s build up health and ecofriendly society
February/March 2025
The 2025 school year has begun
After 10 weeks of winter break, the new school year began in mid-February with the registration of new students, the distribution of textbooks, and the fitting of school uniforms. On February 17, the staff welcomed 112 children to the assembly in the schoolyard to sing the school song together, do early morning exercise (Zumba) to loud music, and read news from the local and international press. Weekly yoga will also be practiced this school year.
We are delighted that 112 children are now once again filling our school building with life. Twelve children were newly enrolled, and three students have sadly left our school. During the winter months, many families move to the lowlands because it is very cold in Darjeeling and public life comes to a standstill. Sometimes parents find better jobs and quickly decide to pack their few belongings and move. This is why our headmaster once coined the term „suitcase families.“ It is always a great shame for the children who can no longer attend our school and for the sponsors from Germany who supported the child. However, our headmaster repeatedly assures us that even just one year of attendance at classes helps the children so much and brings them so much joy, so this time and financial support were certainly not in vain. This is precisely our target group, whom we want to support and encourage.
The teaching staff now consists of 17 teachers (some of whom are on reduced-time positions or as teaching assistants) and two assistants who support the teachers, particularly in the kindergarten classes. We are particularly pleased to have been able to hire a new science teacher, as it is very difficult to find qualified staff for these subjects. Furthermore, one teacher has completed his master’s degree in mathematics and now works full-time at our school.
The students in our final year of Grade 10 are currently in the exam phase, preparing to complete the central examinations.
We are also still in contact with some students from our first year who started kindergarten in 2010. We have decided to support our reliable students in Grades 11 and 12 at other schools as well. During the winter break, for example, we funded a special preparation course for the exam, as this central examination after Grade 12 is also currently taking place. The exam results will be announced in May. We are keeping our fingers crossed and are very excited.