‘Learn, enlighten and make us scale new heights in the future’’ is the underlying aim of Sacred Heart Senior Secondary School, Bhai Randhir Singh Nagar, Ludhiana.

Established in 1982 by the Diocese of Jalandhar, under the able guidance of Rev. Fr. Kurien its founder Principal, the school has grown. Under the guidance of His Excellency Rt. Rev. Dr. Symporian Keeprath, Bishop of Jalandhar, the school has blossomed. It started in two rooms of Church in Sarabha Nagar and only boys were enrolled. Some years later it shifted to its six room building and also started admitting girls. Presently its imposing structure, its well maintained parks speak volumes of its mammoth growth.

Sr. Sobel, the present principal, and director Rev. Fr. Davis, have become an integral part of the institutional composition of the town. The main objective of the school is to develop the students intellectually, aesthetically, socially and spiritually and to train them to live for God and the country through their activities. It also aims to inculcate the spirit of team work and co-operation along with healthy competition. Since the school places a lot of trust in Sacred Heart of Jesus, the school believes in instilling in them love for truth, justice and brotherhood. It helps the students to realise the presence of God within oneself and in others by teaching them to pray and to live in accordance with the dictates of God.

Spread over an area of about 9 acres, the school has scaled great heights in terms of education, sports and extra curricular achievements. Presently the school has a strength of about 4000 students and a staff of about 130 teachers. The teachers in this institution are constantly working hard to prepare the children to face the challenges of life. The school aims at overall development of a child's personality which is why it provides an environment and range of opportunities that develop quality, integrity of character, social consciousness and essence of values. This is achieved through a balanced emphasis on studies, games and co-curricular activities.

The students have tremendous intellectual potential and the school is showing 100% academic results for the past many years. The school has been achieving spectacular results for the students who appeared for the CBSE examination.

Assisting the school management in its smooth function the school has a Students' Council comprising 35 members, House Cabinet and Traffic Police who diligently conduct their duties to the satisfaction of all. The Students' Council work under the leadership of the Head Boy of the school with the help of a Secretary and Deputy Secretary. The different activities of the Houses enable the teachers to channelise the flow of surplus energy present within the pupils and bring out their hidden potential.

Co-curricular activities are an integral part of the school curriculum requiring as much care and fore-thought as the academic side of it. It goes side by side with basic education for the development of the total personality of the children. It takes into account the physical, intellectual, emotional, social, moral and spiritual aspects of the personality. The co-curricular activities can be broadly categorized as physical development activities such as sports, games, athletics, literary and academic activities which comprise of debates, declamation contest, plays, aesthetic and cultural development activities constituting variety shows like folk danes , fancy dress shows, historical or patriotic songs, dances, music, drawing or painting contest etc.

In the end Robert Frost's famous lines c sums up the dreams

The woods are lovely, dark and deep

But I have promises to keep

And miles to go before I sleep

And miles to go before I sleep

The school believes in enlightening the future youth of country through learning encompassed by love, care and compassion.

On religion

* I always tell my students to take the best teachings from their religion and follow them. I believe I am an instrument of God and can cast all my burdens on Him. I feel the religion is the mainstay of every one's life. Among 130 teachers, there are only three nuns. We believe in secular nature of religion though one could see benevolent eyes of Jesus looking at the visitors from every wall. We teach values through 'morning assembly' and in moral science periods. Without religion , without God, we cannot achieve anything substantially. I believe values and morality learnt during school days stands our students in good stead when they fight battles of life Many students come back and thank us for giving them a good set of values that has helped them to be upright in the corrupt world.

On education

* The present system of education has too heavy a curriculum and fails to make the pupils more humane. There is hardly any time left for teachers to instill moral values. The present education system has too much of dichotomy between the two examination systems. The CBSE 's examination system is very different from the competition examination system. Why doesn't the Board modify the CBSE examination system in such a way that the students are less stressed out and base both the systems on similar patterns.

On discipline

* Discipline has to be maintained not by corporal punishment but by love and reasoning. Only under dire circumstances the teachers of the school resort to corporal punishment.

But the punishment is never so severe as to arouse parents' ire. A counselor comes once a week. She deals with the problems of the students in a psychological way. No student has been expelled from the school for indiscipline. Love and reasoning are the 'key words' that can sort outmost of indiscipline among the students.— AA

By Primary Students

Life is a challenge

Ups and downs are a part of life,

In order to live we have to strive.

Though there are obstacles everyday,

'Where there is a will, there is a way'.

Life is not a bed of roses, it is a bed of thorns

And challenges come our way from dusk to dawn

Cherish in facing the challenge of life,

Is like cutting a delicious cake with a knife

The only thing required

Is to grab the bite though we are tired, What if life is full of sorrow and pain

We should try, try and try again

Success will be then be a part of life

Life is a challenge but we will face it with delight

Harjot Kaur, X-A

Nuclear power

It was greatest of Man's findings,

Discovering the atom binding.

In order to develop enormous power

He developed the nuclear power.

Developed for the Second World War,

It was the nuclear power

Has a deafening roar,

And a power to kill a crore.

If used for peaceful purposes

Can be used to lighten houses.

But accidents too happen,

With it our souls dampen.

It happened in Chernobyl

when it looked to kill

It poses the threat of total destruction

Survivors would be just a fraction.

But as a coin has two sides

Nuclear power too, has its sides

On us it depends - to choose

The head and delete the toil

Nidhin Johny, XII (Com.)

Childhood

Childhood is the best par of one's life, No worries, no tensions

no fears, no anxiety

with elders to take care of everything

helping you in each and every step with something

the cute face, the sweet smile,

the curious eyes, the fresh ideas

provide a glow of light in people's dark lines

the innocence of childhood

is million years apart from the

seriousness of manhood

Just look into the eyes of a child

and you will see dreams that no

elder can match

we should never underestimate a child

because they are our future

and in their hands lies our tomorrow

Nidhi Sinha, XI-Commerce