Type Educational institute Established 1900 Phone 03552 274 632 Motto Thorough Color Blue and white | Patron saint(s) R. H Mody Website www.drgrahamshomes.net Founded 1900 | |
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Chairman Lt. Gen. J R Mukherjee (retired) Profiles | ||
Dr graham s homes choir and parikrama
Dr. Graham's Homes formerly called the St. Andrew's Colonial Homes was founded in 1900 by Reverend Dr. John Anderson Graham a missionary of the Church of Scotland, who settled in Kalimpong and worked with the local community for several years during the turn of the 20th century. Whilst working in Edinburgh as a clerk in the Civil Service, Graham was influenced and encouraged by the Minister of his Church, the Reverend John McMurtrie, to be ordained in the Ministry of God.
Contents
- Dr graham s homes choir and parikrama
- Homes
- Structure
- Staff
- Hostels
- Academics
- May Fair
- Birthday celebrations
- Carol service
- Sporting events
- Achievements
- Books
- Documentaries
- Subscriptions
- Notable alumni
- References
On 24 September 1900, Reverend Graham founded St. Andrew’s Colonial Homes. The beginnings were in a rented building (Kiernander Cottage). There were six children – two first generation Eurasians, and four European children whose recently widowed mother became the first ever Housemother of the homes.
Homes
The family of Homes raises children from adolescence through their teenage years, into their adulthood by the process of taking them along the channel of a nursery Lucia king, kindergarten Queen Elizabeth Kindergarten School, Junior Section, Senior Section and, if required, employment. OGBs (an acronym popularly used for alumni of Dr Graham’s Homes), who continue or return to serve the Homes are called Grahamites and the rest as OGBs. The school encompasses an area of 400 acres (1.61 km²). The campus is noted as a "miniature town" and is self-sufficient enough to produce and provide its own food, clothing and lodging.
Structure
Offices
Bank
Museum
Church
Bakery
Dairy
Playgrounds
Hang out zone Honeymoon Hill
Sports
Basketball court
Library
Music room
Gym
Staff
Staff quarters
Hostels
Cemetery
Vehicle
On the other side, the school overlooks the Rangeet River and its carved valleys.
Academics
The school conducts classes in English medium and follows the ICSE, which is equivalent to the GCSE in the United Kingdom and the ISC, which is equivalent to A Levels in the United Kingdom syllabus.
Subjects
The academic year begins around late February and ends in early December, thus having a long holiday of almost three months, owing to the cold weather in the winter. The school attracts students from Kalimpong, and from places as far as Sikkim, Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Siliguri, Bihar, Calcutta, Assam and the North East States. Internationally from Korea, Australia, Canada and United Kingdom.
The school offers eight Second Languages: Hindi, Nepali, Bengali, Dzongkha, Tibetan, Khasi, Lushai and Thai.
Membership is offered in the National Cadet Corps/(NCC), Socially Useful Productive Work/(SUPW), Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme/(DEAS), Scouts and Guides, Interact Club in association with the Rotary Club of Kalimpong.
Homes provides training and competition inh basketball, volleyball, athletics, swimming, football, throw ball, badminton, table tennis, and cricket.
Extra-curricular activities include gardening, elocution, quizzing, dramatics, choir, music, pPhotography, and wild life preservation,
May Fair
The May Fair is a traditional carnival day in the month of May during the spring. Stalls are put up where students can display their skills and dedication at the request stall by sending love messages, secret admirers, friendship funnily lost and found children and belongings. Other skills in arts and crafts, cookery, candle-making, stitching, technical drawing, dancing, dramatics, choir and school band performances. It includes events like Maypole dance, Snow Lion dance and the Yak dance in association with the Indo-Tibetan Buddhist cultural Institute of Kalimpong. The fair also sees the crowning of the May Queen by the Chief Guest who is always an important dignitary. In the same month there is the annual Inter-Cottage Garden Competition, when boys and girls, and staff, vie with one another to create the most striking floral garden displays.
Birthday celebrations
A birthday celebration marks the founding of the school in 1900. Held in September, the celebration is spread over a couple of days and includes the annual Flower Service at the Katherine Graham Memorial Chapel and the Graham Re-dedication Service. The event also includes the Birthday Ball, a dinner party, picnic by the river side, the school play, the swimming Gala, the singing competition, the drill display, and the traditional buns and jalabies with smoked tea. Apart from current students, parents and local supporters, the Birthday Celebration draws former students, friends and well-wishers from across the world. It is celebrated worldwide by the OGBs (Old Girls and Boys) in many parts of the world, who have finished schooling at the institution.
Carol service
The carol service takes place in November just before the end of the academic year.
Fundraising events
These include Walkathon, Seminars, Webinars, Bike Bengal, Jars for Change, sponsorship, annual subscriptions, trust funds, raffles, and dinner dances, save environment, walk away from drugs,
Sporting events
Throughout the year, Dr Graham's Homes takes part in sporting events jointly organised by local schools e.g., competing every September in the Burns Shield and the Minto Cup, which are two swimming events competing against other schools in West Bengal and Darjeeling. In previous years volunteers have resided at the school and trained the swimming team for these national swimming events.
Achievements
Books
The book is a tribute to Dr. Graham’s Homes School. It has 150 photos of the school, in events dating as far back as the 1900s. The book portrays the history of the school from 24 September 1900 when it was established till 24 September 2000 when it celebrated its centenary. It is compiled, composed and sponsored by the ex-students of Dr. Graham’s Homes.
The book is the story of the life and achievements of one of the missionary giants. In Kalimpong – a beautiful part of northern India – the name of Dr. Graham lives on through the work of the homes he founded.
The story of the first hundred years of Dr. Graham's Homes tells of the enfolding of a vision for children as it has passed on from the founder, Dr John Anderson Graham, to the present day.
Documentaries
Documentary on the centennial year of Dr Graham's Homes.
Everybody who went to the Homes has a profound, if baffling love for the school. Film maker and alumni Kesang Tseten set out to explore this difficult love when former Anglo-Indian and Tibetan school friends return for the school centennial celebration. Gradually the pabulum of reunion sentiment gives way to an unfolding of a real childhoods of separation and abandonment and of alienation and cultural displacement.