Vasant Valley School

Overview

Begun by the India Today group, the school has earned it a reference in the July 2005 edition of Fortune magazine for the academic excellence of its students. The director of the school is Arun Kapoor.

Motto

The school motto is 'Shreshtratamaya Karmane' ('Excellence in Deed').

School building

The school consists of two large buildings, Junior School (on the right as you enter) and Senior School (on the left as you enter).

Both buildings are large hexagonal rings and both have a small courtyard in the centre of the ring where assemblies and performances take place, in addition to a special performance area in Junior School. They are linked by a large open-air stage (and secondary basketball court) in the middle of the two buildings immediately visible ahead of you after entering the school, where the school meets on the first and last day of every term and on major occasions.

Upon entering either of the two building, you will be greeted by a display of the children's artwork before the reception, which are in turn followed by classrooms, science labs, art rooms, dance rooms, theatre rooms, music rooms, computer labs, libraries, staff rooms and offices, which are arranged around the hexagonal courtyards.

The school has many sports facilities, including a football field, a large multi-purpose field used for football, field hockey, cricket, track and field etc., a tennis court, a basketball court, table tennis tables, two squash courts and a badminton court. In addition to these, there is a splash pool for classes Nursery - 3, and a playground affectionately dubbed the 'Jhoola Baari' by its inhabitants which features swings, a roundabout, a slide, a sandpit etc.

Sports facilities

The school has a field which can be used as two soccer fields, a cricket field and two hockey pitches. There is another small field for the Junior School. There is one tennis court, two basketball courts, two squash courts and all forms of athletics are undertaken in the school. There is also a splash taal located in the junior school for the enjoyment of little ones. There is also a gymnasium where gymnastics is practiced. The school soccer team has won the Zonal Championship on numerous occasions and students have won medals at athletic meets. The school has hosted the national 2004 Special Olympics

Prefect system

Like most schools following the UK system, Vasant Valley School has a Prefect System. Prefects are chosen by the teachers in Class 5, which is the final year of Junior School, and Class 12, which is the final year of school as a whole. In the Junior School, the most basic prefects are chosen, i.e. Head Boy, Head Girl, Sports Captain, Vice-Sports Captain, and the Captains of the houses (Blue, Red, Green,Yellow).

In the Senior School there are more than 20 prefect posts. These include Head Boy, Head Girl, Sports Captain, Vice-Sports Captain, the four House Captains as well as four House Prefects (considered Vice-Captains). Additionally, there is the editor of the school newsletter and the heads of the various councils (Arts Council, Students Council, Essentials Council, Academic Council, Library Council, Outreach Council etc.) who also hold powers of prefects.

Special days and trophies

The school's Founder's Day is celebrated on the 18 November. The students celebrate it by showcasing dances or performances for the parents, after which the Excellence Awards are given, which are proficiency awards for students who have excelled in student life.

The school holds an Inter-House Athletic Meet, where the four houses [i.e. Blue, Red, Green, Yellow] compete in athletics including sprinting, long-distance running, jumping, and throwing, for which they receive medals for merit. There is a Moksh Dang Memorial Award for Athlete of the Year for the student who achieves most points for their house.

The Akshay Chibber Memorial Award for All-Rounder of the Year is given to one or two students of class 12, who have displayed excellence in the field of academics as well as in sports. The Subject Awards are given to students from Classes IV to XII who have excelled in an academic or co-curricular subject, such as Visual or Performing Arts and PE. The Grade Card Distinction Award is for those students who receive an 85% overall throughout the year.

Co-curriculars

The school encourages co-curricular activities such as debating, quizzing and robotics in which the VVS team won the Indian Robotics Olympiad in 2007, 2008 and 2011 and participated in the World Robot Olympiad in China, South Korea and the UAE.

Four students have represented Delhi at the Red Rover Goes to Mars Competition organized by NASA.

The school has a history of good debaters, participating in some of India's most prestigious debates including the Chukerbutty Debate in The Doon School, Revd. Dr. Samuel Slater Memorial Invitational Inter-School Debate at The Bishop Cotton School, Shimla, The East India Debates at The Assam Valley School, as well as holding their own debating competition, The India Today Cup, which is sponsored by the India Today Group. Six students participated in the IIT Guwahati Technothlon, one team winning and the second team placing fourth in the national competition. After nine years, Vasant Valley School won the prestigious India Today Cup.

Newsletter

The school's bimonthly newsletter, Vasant Valley Today, includes stories written by students and coverage of the events of the fortnight.